The Electric by Steve LeVine — The Information

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The Electric

By Steve LeVine

The Electric is a publication from Steve LeVine and The Information focused on crucial industries for the energy transition, including next-generation batteries, electric vehicles and autonomous driving. The newsletter is only for subscribers of The Information.

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Recent Editions

Musk and Drew Baglino, his chief of powertrain, revealed the 4680 battery concept on Battery Day, in September 2020. Photo: Courtesy Tesla

There’s a New Contender to Replicate Tesla’s 4680 Battery

By Steve LeVine · May 26, 2022 4:00am PDT

Save the date: Next week, BloombergNEF releases its much-anticipated annual outlook on electric vehicles, batteries, and the new mobility. To discuss it, join BNEF's Colin McKerracher and me for Live Chat With The Electric. McKerracher, BNEF's head of advanced transport, oversees the outlook, and you can ask your own questions of him. June 2 at... Save the date: Next week, BloombergNEF releases its much-anticipated annual outlook on electric...

After a Decade of Declines, EV Battery Costs Are To Rise 14% This Year

After a Decade of Declines, EV Battery Costs Are To Rise 14% This Year

By Steve LeVine · May 24, 2022 11:08am PDT

The abrupt electrification of the auto industry has been fueled in large part by a steep drop in the cost of their batteries, bringing the price of electric cars closer to parity with traditional vehicles. But the International Energy Agency says those declines are about to end—and reverse.A surge in the price of critical metals is on track to... The abrupt electrification of the auto industry has been fueled in large part by a steep drop in...

In 1770, Thomas Gainsborough unveiled what came to be called "The Blue Boy," in which he used Prussian blue. Photo: Courtesy The Huntington

Getting Ready for the Next-Next EV Battery

By Steve LeVine · May 22, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! This is the second of our two-part series on the surprisingly fast arrival of next-generation battery technologies. Last week we looked at the imminent commercialization of electric vehicles powered by high-concentration silicon anodes. This week we turn to the even more unexpected debut of sodium-ion batteries... Welcome back to The Electric! This is the second of our two-part series on the surprisingly...

The Rivian R1T, with its pullout kitchen. Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg

Think EVs Are Expensive? Try Buying a Used One

By Steve LeVine · May 19, 2022 4:00am PDT

The Rivian R1T, with its pullout kitchen. Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg

Think EVs Are Expensive? Try Buying a Used One

By Steve LeVine · May 19, 2022 4:00am PDT

The automobile industry has been hit harder than almost any sector by the pandemic-led upheaval in the global supply chain. For more than a year, automakers have been forced to scale back production because of shortages of chips, lithium-ion batteries and other parts, leading most recently to steep drops in revenue and their share prices. One... The automobile industry has been hit harder than almost any sector by the pandemic-led upheaval...

CATL headquarters and production facilities in China. Photo by Bloomberg

CATL Could Make Battery Swaps Pay Off, Finally

By Steve LeVine · May 17, 2022 5:00am PDT

Today's column is our second from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies. Since 2017, he has focused on the Chinese EV market, as well as smart cities, urban logistics and battery recycling management.There are two ways to recharge an electric car: Plug it in, or replace a depleted battery with... Today's column is our second from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in...

With a fully silicon anode, the Porsche Taycan would get about 270 miles on a charge, up from 225 without one. Photo: Ted S. Warren/AP

The Next Generation of EV Batteries Arrives—Ahead of Schedule

By Steve LeVine · May 15, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! We seem to have been talking about the future of next-generation lithium-ion batteries forever. But now, while most of us have been preoccupied by the critical shortage of raw materials, one of those technologies—silicon anodes—has arrived for use at commercial scale in electric vehicles. As part of a two-part... Welcome back to The Electric! We seem to have been talking about the future of...

The Chart That Shows the Looming EV Battery Shortage

The Chart That Shows the Looming EV Battery Shortage

By Steve LeVine · May 12, 2022 4:00am PDT

For well over a year, I and other observers have been ringing the alarm bell over a coming shortage of electric vehicle batteries and the metals that make them work. But it was a wholly bracing experience to chart forecasts for how much of those materials will be produced and how many EVs can actually be made this decade. The answer: almost... For well over a year, I and other observers have been ringing the alarm bell over a coming...

The Byd Han, powered by the Blade battery, which uses LFP. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

The Law of Bottlenecks Explains Why Automakers Should Switch Batteries

By Steve LeVine · May 8, 2022 2:00pm PDT

The Byd Han, powered by the Blade battery, which uses LFP. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

The Law of Bottlenecks Explains Why Automakers Should Switch Batteries

By Steve LeVine · May 8, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! One of the main undercurrents in the electric vehicle race is tension over what EV battery is better: those based on nickel or on iron? This week, we dig into the often irrational logic of the battery chemistry debate, and come out on the side of a simple law that clears up much of the confusion. On... Welcome back to The Electric! One of the main undercurrents in the electric vehicle race is...

Volkswagen's Struggles in China Imperil Its Global EV Sales Goal

Volkswagen's Struggles in China Imperil Its Global EV Sales Goal

By Steve LeVine · May 4, 2022 7:00am PDT

Today’s column by Dalibor Petkovic is part of our expanded coverage of all things EV. Petkovic is a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies. Since 2017, he has focused on the Chinese EV market, as well as smart cities, urban logistics and battery recycling management. Volkswagen's ID.4 SUV is one of its... Today’s column by Dalibor Petkovic is part of our expanded coverage of all things EV....

The electric Lucid Air, which starts at a base price of $77,400. Photo: RW/MediaPunch/IPX/AP

Do EV Battery Costs Truly No Longer Matter?

By Steve LeVine · May 1, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric!Coming on Tuesday at noon ET: A mania has erupted in India over electric vehicles—two-wheel scooters that are seemingly everywhere in the country. At the forefront is Hero Electric and its pioneering CEO, Naveen Munjal. I’m delighted to host Munjal for the next Live Chat. Register here to join the conversation.An... Welcome back to The Electric!Coming on Tuesday at noon ET: A mania has erupted in India over...

Photo: Yichuan Cao/Sipa/AP

A Shrewder Musk Would Have Bought a Lithium Mine

By Steve LeVine · Apr 26, 2022 4:02am PDT

The electric vehicle industry is in a supply crisis: There is not nearly enough raw nickel, lithium and other metals and minerals to build the batteries for the millions of EVs that the industry envisions selling this decade. Every Western EV and battery manufacturer on the planet is more or less in the same jam—none has sufficient battery raw... The electric vehicle industry is in a supply crisis: There is not nearly enough raw nickel,...

A lithium brine pool in Calama, Chile, run by Albemarle. Photo: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg

Just How Many EVs Can Be Made? Far Fewer Than Expected

By Steve LeVine · Apr 24, 2022 2:00pm PDT

A lithium brine pool in Calama, Chile, run by Albemarle. Photo: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg

Just How Many EVs Can Be Made? Far Fewer Than Expected

By Steve LeVine · Apr 24, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: In large parts of the world, when you say “electric vehicle” you don’t mean a car or an SUV, but a scooter—a two-wheeler, as they are better known. And today’s greatest two-wheeler mania of all is perhaps in India, pioneered by Hero Electric, the country’s largest manufacturer of electric two-wheelers, and its managing director, ... Save the date: In large parts of the world, when you say “electric vehicle” you don’t mean a car...

If you want 300 miles of range in your new electric Ford-150 Lightning Lariat, prices start at $77,000. The first deliveries are next week. Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

There May Be a Limit to Demand for EVs After All

By Steve LeVine · Apr 20, 2022 4:30am PDT

The Electric's coverage is expanding. Starting this week, we will feature one or two additional pieces during the week, including coverage of the Chinese battery and electric vehicle industry. This is on top of The Electric Quarterly, which launched last month. As always, I love to hear any suggestions, comments, or tips. Just email... The Electric's coverage is expanding. Starting this week, we will feature one or two additional...

Scrap iron, abundant in the U.S., could be a key raw material for LFP. Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

The Iron Age for EVs Finally Arrives With a Rush of Companies in the U.S. and Europe

By Steve LeVine · Apr 17, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric!Save the date: Electric vehicle sales are ticking up around the world, but in one country they rose threefold last year—India, where a mania has erupted over electric two-wheelers. The leading company in the nascent industry is Hero Electric, India’s largest manufacturer of electric two-wheelers. So I’m excited to... Welcome back to The Electric!Save the date: Electric vehicle sales are ticking up around the...

A fast-charger in Mesa, Ariz. Photo: Alexandra Buxbaum/Sipa/AP

Meet the Cottage Industry Trying to Make EV Charging Faster

By Steve LeVine · Apr 10, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! For well over a century, people around the world have fueled their automobiles with ease, filling up at will at any nearby gasoline station. This history lies behind the drive to develop fast-charge technology for electric vehicles, and duplicate the gas station experience. This week, we look at the surprisingly... Welcome back to The Electric! For well over a century, people around the world have fueled their...

Jeff Dahn's new brainchild is the "century battery." Photo: Courtesy Dalhousie University

Introducing the 36-Million-Mile 'Century Battery' for EVs

By Steve LeVine · Apr 3, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Jeff Dahn's new brainchild is the "century battery." Photo: Courtesy Dalhousie University

Introducing the 36-Million-Mile 'Century Battery' for EVs

By Steve LeVine · Apr 3, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! You’ve probably heard of the million-mile battery, the effort by automobile companies such as Tesla and General Motors to put electric vehicles with extremely long life on the road. In this week's edition, the inventor of the million-mile battery ups his game with a surprising new concept. Correction: In... Welcome back to The Electric! You’ve probably heard of the million-mile battery, the effort...

Enovix's silicon cell containment system. Photo: Courtesy Enovix

The Electric Flash Analysis: Enovix Claims Safety and Energy Density Breakthroughs for Silicon-Based Batteries

By Steve LeVine · Mar 30, 2022 4:30am PDT

Enovix, a Fremont, Calif., battery company, claimed this week that its silicon anode can outdo rival pure lithium-metal technology, which has gained favor among major automakers searching for the next generation of batteries to power electric vehicles.The company’s chief technology officer, Ashok Lahiri, said Enovix’s silicon-based battery... Enovix, a Fremont, Calif., battery company, claimed this week that its silicon anode can outdo...

Illustration: Haejin Park/The Information

The Electric Quarterly: China Tightens Its Grip on U.S. and European EV Makers

By Steve LeVine · Mar 27, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric!The year is just three months old, yet a torrent of events has already happened and new trends have taken shape. To help make sense of it all and connect the dots, below you will find the first issue of The Electric Quarterly, a four-times-a-year special edition of the publication that both wraps up the most recent... Welcome back to The Electric!The year is just three months old, yet a torrent of events has...

On Battery Day, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, right, and top deputy Drew Baglino promised a 56% cut in battery costs. Photo: Screenshot

Tesla’s Rivals Are Finally in the Fight but Are Still Struggling to Catch Up

By Steve LeVine · Mar 20, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric!Coming on Tuesday: The electric vehicle race often looks like a competition among companies fighting to be first to the same technologies. That’s why I’m excited to host Mujeeb Ijaz, founder of Our Next Energy, as my next guest on Live Chat With The Electric. One of the sharpest minds in the field today, Ijaz has... Welcome back to The Electric!Coming on Tuesday: The electric vehicle race often looks like a...

At Norilsk Nickel's plant in Nadezhda, Russia. Norilsk produces 15%-20% of the world's battery-grade nickel. Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

Winners and Losers From Russia’s War, Spike in Oil Prices

By Steve LeVine · Mar 13, 2022 2:00pm PDT

At Norilsk Nickel's plant in Nadezhda, Russia. Norilsk produces 15%-20% of the world's battery-grade nickel. Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

Winners and Losers From Russia’s War, Spike in Oil Prices

By Steve LeVine · Mar 13, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! Save the date: Tesla and China are far in the lead in the global electric vehicle race. How to compete against them? One way is to invent an entirely new battery that bypasses the assumptions on which almost everyone else is relying. For the next live chat, I’m delighted to host Mujeeb Ijaz, founder and CEO of... Welcome back to The Electric! Save the date: Tesla and China are far in the lead in the...