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That's great news! Lithium iron is a much safer chemistry, can handle high discharge rates very well, and has a much greater cycle life. Hopefully, the higher d

That's great news! Lithium iron is a much safer chemistry, can handle high discharge rates very well, and has a much greater cycle life. Hopefully, the higher demand will bring the same benefits as with lithium cobalt batteries, improving energy density and bringing prices down.

deleted 6y ago
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myself248 6y ago
Seriously! I'd be more likely to buy a LiFePO4 car because I know the pack will last basically forever. I don't need incredible range, especially since the supercharger network exists, so that's a pretty sweet deal. Be nice if it was an option you could order, but whatever. Be even nicer if some non-Tesla cars would offer it.
- Animats 6y ago
  BYD, the world's largest electric car maker, offers it.
- nabilhat 6y ago
  I confess I'm more excited for the hobby market getting access to hobbyist-friendlier secondhand batteries with tons of life left. Handling the electricity's just as risky as any other high capacity pack (electrocution and dropped wrenches exploding into plasma when they short the pack and so forth) but at least making a battery management mistake or accidentally drilling a hole in a cell isn't automatically an unstoppable fireworks show in your garage.
Animats 6y ago
Yes. Lithium iron phosphate batteries can pass the "nail test"[1] and ordinary water sprinklers will extinguish fires.[2] Unlike ordinary lithium ion batteries.[3] I'll bet Tesla omits the titanium skid plate under the battery for those. Lithium iron phosphate also makes sense for fixed applications. BYD says they've been able to get the energy density per liter up near regular lithium-ion by improved packaging, but lithium iron phosphate is still about 2x heavier. [1] https://youtu.be/rb_J2QQ0k-4 https://youtu.be/rb_J2QQ0k-4 [2] https://youtu.be/NeaK9V69Xks https://youtu.be/NeaK9V69Xks [3] https://youtu.be/f30fBFitkSM https://youtu.be/f30fBFitkSM
- throwaway81523 6y ago
  Retail LFP in the US quite a bit more expensive per KWH than LNC though apparently not in China or if you order from there. I wonder why that is. FWIW I'm a one-car "family" and I wouldn't be bothered by a BEV with 200 mile range if I had a way to charge it on normal nights. I can deal with an occasional car rental or a few stops if I go on a trip. The main thing putting me off BEV right now is that I live in a city without good access to daily charging facilities. If I were in the burbs the satisfaction of charging it from solar panels instead of paying for fuel would make up for quite a few occasional range inconveniences.
- nickik 6y ago
  The advantage in BYD packaging you can also get to the same extend with other batteries. As Tesla does with their next generation platform. So that argument doesn't really make sense.

deleted 6y ago

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myself248 6y ago

Seriously! I'd be more likely to buy a LiFePO4 car because I know the pack will last basically forever. I don't need incredible range, especially since the supercharger network exists, so that's a pretty sweet deal. Be nice if it was an option you could order, but whatever. Be even nicer if some non-Tesla cars would offer it.

Animats 6y ago
BYD, the world's largest electric car maker, offers it.
nabilhat 6y ago
I confess I'm more excited for the hobby market getting access to hobbyist-friendlier secondhand batteries with tons of life left. Handling the electricity's just as risky as any other high capacity pack (electrocution and dropped wrenches exploding into plasma when they short the pack and so forth) but at least making a battery management mistake or accidentally drilling a hole in a cell isn't automatically an unstoppable fireworks show in your garage.

Animats 6y ago

Yes. Lithium iron phosphate batteries can pass the "nail test"[1] and ordinary water sprinklers will extinguish fires.[2] Unlike ordinary lithium ion batteries.[3] I'll bet Tesla omits the titanium skid plate under the battery for those. Lithium iron phosphate also makes sense for fixed applications. BYD says they've been able to get the energy density per liter up near regular lithium-ion by improved packaging, but lithium iron phosphate is still about 2x heavier. [1] https://youtu.be/rb_J2QQ0k-4 https://youtu.be/rb_J2QQ0k-4 [2] https://youtu.be/NeaK9V69Xks https://youtu.be/NeaK9V69Xks [3] https://youtu.be/f30fBFitkSM https://youtu.be/f30fBFitkSM

throwaway81523 6y ago
Retail LFP in the US quite a bit more expensive per KWH than LNC though apparently not in China or if you order from there. I wonder why that is. FWIW I'm a one-car "family" and I wouldn't be bothered by a BEV with 200 mile range if I had a way to charge it on normal nights. I can deal with an occasional car rental or a few stops if I go on a trip. The main thing putting me off BEV right now is that I live in a city without good access to daily charging facilities. If I were in the burbs the satisfaction of charging it from solar panels instead of paying for fuel would make up for quite a few occasional range inconveniences.
nickik 6y ago
The advantage in BYD packaging you can also get to the same extend with other batteries. As Tesla does with their next generation platform. So that argument doesn't really make sense.