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Old 07-29-17, 08:33 AM   #348
jeff5may
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Use laptop batteries (18650), that's what Tesla is using in the model S battery banks. The more laptop batteries we (as consumers) purchase, the faster prices will fall. Economics of scale type of thing. Since the maturity of the convergence product (cell phone/tv/tablet/internet/etc devices) market and the shift of the EV market to lithium battery technology, prices have taken a nosedive.

These lithium cells are now somewhere between the price per KWH of the NiMH and the NiCd cells. Ten years ago, they were much, much more expensive. If you get the "normal" drain type cells made for flashlights (around 15 Amp max discharge rate) and not the "high" drain type (20 Amp or more max) made for power tools or vapor cigarette boxes, they can be had for a dollar or less per cell. Tesla claims they are below $200 per KWH on their battery assemblies now, and Elon and his crew are beating prices down with a big friggin hammer as we speak. The new goal is below $100 per KWH. Tesla/Solar City has teamed up with Panasonic to try to achieve this as fast as possible.

Lead acid may not always be cheaper per KWH. A typical passenger car or deep-cycle boat battery stores around 1 KWH. Go look around at prices. There are companies already manufacturing and marketing Li-ion deep cycle batteries for around twice to three times the price of standard lead acid deep cycle batteries. Compared to the glass mat (optima) batteries, the lithium products are not that much more expensive.
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