Two things may happen when we raise our purchasing standards. In the first instance, available supply reduces as ‘cowboy vendors’ lose interest. The second event is more of a consequence of that. Battery prices rise in terms of the rules of supply and demand. The International Flow Battery Forum reviewed the new European Union (EU) battery standard, and wondered what impact this would have on sourcing future batteries.
Sourcing Future Batteries Under EU Standards
The new European Union battery standard adds a layer of fresh requirements for sourcing batteries in member states. We don’t doubt that other major countries will be obliged to follow suit, as their citizens demand they grapple with the consequences of global warming. We share the Forum’s thinking here in terms of future battery deployment.
The International Flow Battery Forum views the regulations in a positive light, in the sense they may open new markets for its members. Will electric car manufacturers recognize the opportunity for both players to increase their market share, they wonder … or will the two industries evolve in different directions in terms of sourcing future batteries?
Will We See a Dual Stream of Batteries Emerging?
The potential for stationary battery energy storage is vast, there’s no doubt about that. Some pundits suggest this could grow by sixteen gigawatts per year. However, the Forum believes the automobile industry, “seems to be reliant on lithium-ion technology, and most flow batteries are intended for stationary applications”.
That said, there is inter-connectivity between the two technologies, because they share the common denominator, electricity. Moreover, indications are that flow batteries could work out cheaper than the lithium-ion alternative in terms of lifetime costs.
The Forum concludes as follows. “So, it is an obvious choice to use flow batteries for stationary applications, and reserve lithium-ion batteries for mobile EVs. That of course depends on building the factories to make the flow batteries.” Progress in that regard has been tardy to date, although the future is seldom the same as the past in our world of batteries.
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