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> the battery catalyst is a Nickel-Molybdenum-Cobalt alloy, which seems like a pretty rare, expensive component. So you didn't read the article? The piece sta

> the battery catalyst is a Nickel-Molybdenum-Cobalt alloy, which seems like a pretty rare, expensive component. So you didn't read the article? The piece states: "Yi Cui’s team found an inexpensive nickel-molybdenum-cobalt alloy catalyst for the battery that costs $20/kg." For a catalyst, that doesn't sound too expensive. > Their published research cites a $~83/kWh cost for just the materials (that's not very cheap) That's all very nice, but that number is from a paper from 2018. And they state that it is the battery cost: "The estimated cost of the nickel-hydrogen battery reaches as low as ∼$83 per kilowatt-hour". And pulling up 2018 data for LiIon, we get $~198/kWh.. (For instance, from here: https://about.bnef.com/blog/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-rise-for-first-time-to-an-average-of-151-kwh https://about.bnef.com/blog/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-...)

RhodesianHunter 3y ago
Not the mention the comparative differences in economies of scale, given that one of these has been scaled while the other has not.
pfdietz 3y ago
The Li-ion number is assuming a current mix of chemistries, not the cheaper one (LFP).
scott_h 3y ago
> So you didn't read the article? Part of my critique is that the numbers cited in the article don't relate to their meaning. Measuring catalyst by kg instead of kWh is stupid, so $20/kg means jack when you look at what that actually means for a battery. Sounds hard to believe that there is an inexpensive anything made of only things like nickel-molybdenum-cobalt. > That's all very nice, but that number is from a paper from 2018. Hey I agree with you, but that's what the article cited. Maybe they shouldn't be citing a 2018 article. And I bet that $83/kWh was absolutely a best case estimate without manufacturing costs, nor accounting for scaling costs. Thats why I added the link for context.

RhodesianHunter 3y ago

Not the mention the comparative differences in economies of scale, given that one of these has been scaled while the other has not.

pfdietz 3y ago

The Li-ion number is assuming a current mix of chemistries, not the cheaper one (LFP).

scott_h 3y ago

> So you didn't read the article? Part of my critique is that the numbers cited in the article don't relate to their meaning. Measuring catalyst by kg instead of kWh is stupid, so $20/kg means jack when you look at what that actually means for a battery. Sounds hard to believe that there is an inexpensive anything made of only things like nickel-molybdenum-cobalt. > That's all very nice, but that number is from a paper from 2018. Hey I agree with you, but that's what the article cited. Maybe they shouldn't be citing a 2018 article. And I bet that $83/kWh was absolutely a best case estimate without manufacturing costs, nor accounting for scaling costs. Thats why I added the link for context.