Battery Energy Density to Equal Gasoline by 2045: Report
The energy density of today’s automotive batteries does not compare very favorably to good old gasoline. However, researchers and scientists are continually pushing to improve the range and storage capacity of EVs.
And their hard work is paying off. According to the Argonne National Laboratory, the energy density of batteries should reach parity with fossil fuel by the year 2045. That means we’re just three decades away from electrified automotive nirvana, or so the popular narrative goes.
Unfortunately, things aren’t as favorable for EVs today. Directly comparing lithium-ion capacity to an identical amount of gasoline reveals that this battery technology only holds about 1 percent as much energy. But not so fast.
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According to the report, this common comparison isn’t accurate because internal-combustion engines are much less efficient than electric motors. In short, EVs need less energy to travel the same distance because they aren’t as wasteful.
Powertrain mass and efficiency matter in these equations as is stated in the paper: “The energy density of gasoline is about 100 times greater than that of a battery, but this does not mean that BEVs will have to weigh more than conventional vehicles to be able to run the same distance.”
In any event, researchers at the Argonne National Lab estimate that by 2045 battery-electric vehicles will compare very favorably to conventional vehicles “in terms of the energy spent at the wheel per kilogram of the powertrain mass.” This is because batteries and other components will continue to get lighter and more efficient.
[Source: Argonne National Laboratory]
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Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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Wow. *Only* 30 more years to reach the same energy density as gasoline--IF all those projected technology breakthroughs actually occur. How much money and pollution will all that research cost? This report from Argonne Labs sounds suspiciously like it is designed to keep those people employed for the next 30 years.