Tesla’s improving battery technology could ultimately be a blow to the cobalt mining industry, according to advisory firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
According to BMI, Tesla’s consistent improvement in its battery tech has resulted in a steady decline in the company’s usage of cobalt for its electric cars. Since the days of the original Tesla Roadster and the first-generation Tesla Model S, the electric car maker has managed to reduce its cobalt consumption by an average of 59% per vehicle.
The Tesla Model S, for example, consumed 11 kg of cobalt per car, while the company’s newest offering, the Model 3, only consumes 4.5 kg of cobalt per vehicle.
Details of Tesla’s cobalt needs were provided by the company on its Q1 2018 update letter and its succeeding earnings call. In Tesla’s update letter, the California-based company stated that the Model 3’s battery cells feature the highest density used in any electric vehicle in the market.
“Cells used in Model 3 are the highest energy density cells used in any electric vehicle. We have achieved this by significantly reducing cobalt content per battery pack while increasing nickel content and still maintaining superior thermal stability. The cobalt content of our Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum cathode chemistry is already lower than next-generation cathodes that will be made by other cell producers with a Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt ratio of 8:1:1,” Tesla wrote in its Q1 2018 update letter.
During the earnings call, Musk noted that Tesla would probably be able to get the cobalt used in its electric car batteries to “almost nothing.” Tesla CTO JB Straubel further explained the company’s efforts at reducing cobalt usage.
“Being on a path to reduce cobalt usage, for instance, has been something we’ve been working on for literally several years now. And this has been extremely helpful in the overall cost per kilowatt hour, especially with recent commodity price movements,” Straubel said.
Cobalt is one of the most expensive components of Tesla’s electric car batteries. According to an OilPricereport, cobalt has been trading near decade-highs of over $90,000 per tonne.
Tesla’s competitors in the electric car market, such as rivals from the US, Japan, South Korea, and Germany, are still a few steps behind the Elon Musk-led company in terms of battery technology. Thus, while the cobalt mining industry stands to lose some of its profits from Tesla, the emergence of new electric cars from other automakers with batteries that are not on par with the electric car maker would likely keep the demand for cobalt steady for years to come.
Tesla’s battery tech is among the company’s biggest strengths in the electric car market. During a teardown of the Model 3, Sandy Munro of Munro & Associates noted that Tesla’s batteries are the best in the business. Munro, a staunch critic of the Model 3’s build quality and bodywork design, stated that there is no other carmaker in the industry today that makes batteries on par with Tesla.
Tesla is leading electric car batteries away from cobalt mining industry
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The metric of “kg of cobalt per vehicle” is rather vague since the battery capacity has significantly increased since the early days (which should actually make these numbers even better).Are more insightful numbers available?
The metric of “kg of cobalt per vehicle” is rather vague since the battery capacity has significantly increased since the early days (which should actually make these numbers even better).Are more insightful numbers available?
Numbers would be impossible to figure out. But the most insightful fact is Tesla believes they can get the Cobalt content close to zero.
This shows how risky it is to invest in battery minerals. There is no knowing where the technology may be in 10 years time and what substances will be used. At this stage only Lithium seems secure in the longer term
This is even more good news now that we’ve seen the recent CNN Freedom Project report on apparent child labor used in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo… which led to Daimler immediately issuing a statement they would launch an investigation into ethics violations in their cobalt supply chain…
Linked Group Services, a business in North Queensland, Australia, has decided to go fully off-grid through the use of a 100 kWh Tesla Powerpack battery, a series of solar installations, and a microturbine that runs on natural gas. With this, the Australian business, which provides renewable energy solutions, will become the first enterprise in the country to become self-sustaining.
In a statement to One Step Off The Grid, Linked Group Services managing director Jason Sharam noted that the decision to go off-grid was easy. According to Sharam, the combination of high electricity prices, an unreliable power network, and political involvement in the country’s energy problems ultimately became drivers for the business’ decision to become self-sustaining.
Linked Group Services facility. [Credit: Linked Group Services]
Linked Group Services facility. [Credit: Linked Group Services]
Fortunately for Linked Group Services, it is already in the business of providing renewable energy solutions. The company, after all, specializes in mobile solar and battery storage systems, as well as the solar shading structures and solar-powered accommodations.
The company’s renewable energy project will involve the installation of a 100 kWh Tesla Powerpack battery storage unit paired with a 100 kW solar system comprised of 8 kW on a car port, 18 kW on a solar patio, 20 kW on a storage shed, and up to 50 kW on the company’s main building. According to Sharam, the company’s 100 kWh Powerpack is the first off-grid Tesla battery in Australia so far.
The Linked Group Services managing director further noted that going off-grid made perfect economic sense for the company, considering the price of electricity in the region.
“We have customers from around here that are paying a levelized cost of energy of between $0.86c – $1.20c/kWh. With the microturbine running, to go off-grid is costing us between 40-45c/kWh. So from a financial perspective, why wouldn’t you?” Sharam said.
Sharam, however, noted going off-grid is a statement, as well as an invitation for other businesses to follow suit.
“One of the major factors for our decision to go off-grid is that it’s a major advertising point. So that we could prove to our customers that it was reliable – more reliable and better quality than the grid. The way we see it, we’re going to transition to renewables eventually, so let’s look for the opportunity.
“We want to help companies of our size be able to have their own control, and security. It’s about knowing what your energy expense is going to be. Avoiding that bill shock. We’re trying to prove a point, to a degree, that we don’t need to connect. A lot of it is about getting control back.”
Tesla’s Powerpacks are steadily becoming the battery storage solution of choice for companies across the globe. Just yesterday, we reported on Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP), a prominent science and technology park operator in the UK, installing a Tesla Powerpack on its flagship headquarters.
In a press release about the installation, MSP managing director Tom Renn praised Tesla’s Powerpacks, stating that the system’s scalability is capable of meeting the changing energy demands of the company’s HQ. With enough Powerpacks, Renn stated that MSP’s flagship headquarters would eventually be able to operate the whole day using renewable energy.
Tesla Powerpack battery to help Australian business go fully off-grid
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While I can understand the theory behind off grid and the lure of self sufficiency for those on the frontier or business concerns.. and agree that TESLA is at the forefront with this tech (for now)….
I think for most unban dwellers , being grid connected still makes the most economic sense.
My utility buys every kWh my 10.01K solar pv system makes that I don’t use.. cent for cent through net metering
And with a 98.7% reliability rating for my utility’s power supply, I feel no need to go off grid at all..
Furthermore, Off- grid systems do NOT earn utility solar credits through the state’s clean energy program .. a loss of $200-250 per 1000 kWh generated. My system can generate 12000 kWh a year or more..
Tesla’s Powerpacks have been selected as the backup system of choice for Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP), one of the UK’s most prominent science and technology park operators. The big battery is part of the MSP’s ongoing initiative to employ and utilize advanced energy solutions.
The Tesla Powerpack system would be installed outside the MSP’s flagship headquarters, located at the Bright Building in Manchester Science Park. Apart from the Powerpacks, MSP will also be building two charging points for electric vehicles on its HQ’s premises.
The Bright Building in the UK, housing the MSP’s flagship HQ. [Credit: Manchester Science Partnerships]
According to a press release, the installation of the Powerpacks and the construction of the charging stations would help insulate the MSP from changing commercial tariffs and surging non-commodity prices. More importantly, however, the adoption of green technologies would significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the park operator’s headquarters.
Perhaps the most notable advantage of the Tesla Powerpack system for the MSP, however, would be the big battery’s capability to respond quickly in the event of a power shortage. As could be seen in the performance of the South Australia Powerpack farm near Jamestown, the system could respond to outages in less than a second — far quicker than traditional backup energy solutions like diesel generators.
The Tesla Powerpack batteries are also scalable, which would enable MSP to install additional batteries if its headquarters’ power needs increase. With enough Powerpack batteries, the park operator’s HQ in Bright Building could eventually run all day on its energy storage system alone.
MSP managing director Tom Renn stated that the company is excited about the idea of using Tesla’s Powerpacks as the headquarters’ backup power system.
“As the only UK science and technology park operator to be offering this kind of advanced energy innovation, it’s something we’re understandably very excited about. This pilot installation marks a key milestone in our advanced energy strategy. It also makes good on a commitment to invest in sustainable improvements to our campuses, signed up to as part of our green funding package with Lloyds Bank.
“We have bold plans to harness the opportunities provided by advanced energy. We envisage that within 12 months, the Bright Building will be an energy island – self-sufficient and operating without reliance on the National Grid.”
Tesla’s Powerpacks have so far proven their worth across the globe. Just recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to an islandwide blackout in Puerto Rico by pledging to expand the country’s existing solar and battery solutions 24/7 to support the country’s ravaged energy grid better. Since being hit by Hurricane Maria last year, Puerto Rico has been embroiled in a power crisis, and Tesla has been doing its part helping the island nation through its products such as the Powerpack, Powerwall home battery, and solar panels.
In South Australia, Tesla’s Powerpack farm, dubbed as the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery, continues to support the region’s power grid. The Powerpacks have proven to be so efficient; Tesla is reportedly not getting paid properly anymore since the big battery responds too fast for the Australian Energy Market Operator’s legacy billing system.
Tesla Powerpacks selected as backup system for UK park operator’s HQ
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Amid Puerto Rico’s recent islandwide blackout, Elon Musk stated that the Tesla team would be working to expand its existing battery and solar installations 24/7 to support the country’s damaged power grid better.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority stated that the whole island is without electricity and that it would likely take around 24 to 36 hrs before power is restored. Puerto Rico power officials further noted that they are prioritizing the restoration of electricity in key locations first, such as hospitals and banking centers. The recent islandwide blackout came not long after another power outage affected around 840,000 residents last week.
Responding to the news on Twitter, Musk stated that Tesla batteries have gone live and are delivering power to 662 locations in Puerto Rico. According to Musk, the Tesla team is working around the clock to activate “several hundred” more.
Tesla batteries are currently live & delivering power at 662 locations in Puerto Rico. Team is working 24/7 to activate several hundred more. https://t.co/OMu8qKJvLy
Not long after the billionaire entrepreneur’s Twitter announcement, Tesla’s official Twitter account shared photos of the company’s solar installations in the island as well, stating that there are currently over 1,000 Tesla batteries that have been activated in 662 locations so far. Echoing Musk’s statement, the electric car and energy company noted that more projects are underway.
Puerto Rico has been dealing with a power crisis since being hit by Hurricane Maria almost 7 months ago. When the Category 4 hurricane made landfall, it devastated the country’s entire power grid, leaving its roughly 3.5 million residents without power. Amid the relief efforts to aid the country, Tesla began shipping some of its Powerwall 2 residential battery storage units and solar panels to help restore electricity to Puerto Rico’s residents. Musk also made a personal donation to the country worth $250,000.
Tesla’s solar system in Puerto Rico. [Credit: Tesla]
Tesla’s solar system in Puerto Rico. [Credit: Tesla]
Musk noted that its batteries could be used by the country to help support its damaged grid, considering that it had already done similar projects for “many smaller islands around the world” in the past. The Tesla CEO further stated that while there is no scalability limit when it comes to battery storage and solar solutions, the decision to pursue such a project would ultimately lie in the hands of the Puerto Rico government.
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello expressed interest in Musk’s Twitter statement, suggesting that the island nation could become Tesla’s flagship energy project. Since then, Tesla has been hard at work installing its batteries and its photovoltaic systems to locations across the country; and if Musk’s recent announcement is any indication, more installations will likely happen soon.
As we noted in a previous report, if Tesla aims to supply 40% of the island’s energy through solar and battery solutions, the cost of the project would be substantial. Considering the rates of Tesla’s solar panels and battery packs, the cost of materials would roughly come at $9.58 billion. Factoring in an estimated 7% interest rate and Puerto Rico’s rather poor credit rating and high debt, the project could ultimately cost over $21 billion over 20 years.
Elon Musk pushes more Tesla battery installs as blackout hits Puerto Rico
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One of the first known Tesla Solar Roof residential customers has shed some light on the process for installing the unique energy producing glass roof tiles, and its costs. In a conversation with Alex Guberman of YouTube’s E for Electric, Tri Huynh provided several insights on the novel photovoltaic system beyond installation and cost, including the wait time involved, and reaction to the Solar Roof from his neighbors.
According to Huynh, he immediately signed up for the Solar Roof in the Textured finish as soon as they became available, considering his house needed a new roof and he was on the market for a solar system. Huynh further noted that Tesla first reached out to him about a year later, stating that they wanted to do a site survey. The site survey involved two people from Tesla analyzing the details of his roof, including its orientation to the sun, and determining the best system for it. According to Huynh, Tesla also deployed a drone to survey the surrounding area.
The installation involved a surprising 20 people who worked on the Solar Roof for two weeks. Part of the reason why it took so long to get the system installed was due to bad weather. Huynh noted that Tesla is probably still optimizing the ideal number of people it needs to deploy when installing its photovoltaic glass roof tiles.
According to the Solar Roof customer, the difference in price between the photovoltaic system and a traditional roof is substantial. Thus, he does not recommend the tiles for those who are financially-sensitive.
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
A Tesla Solar Roof installation. [Credit: E for Electric/YouTube]
“It’s definitely a premium product. Luckily, I could afford it, so I did it, But the difference is substantial. So if someone is money-sensitive or financially-sensitive, I wouldn’t recommend it,” Huynh said.
Nevertheless, Huynh noted that he loves his Solar Roof tiles and that they are perfect for him. He also stated that his community’s reaction to the Solar Roof tiles has been very positive.
“I’m a big technology guy, and I kinda wanted to be on the front of this. It just looks amazing, and it’s just what I want. So luckily, it worked out for me.
“They (the neighbors) think it’s amazing. They love it, and they asked a lot of questions. During the install, people would walk their dogs here constantly, and just stay here for 20 mins watching everyone install it and talking to the installers, so it’s very cool,” Huynh said.
During the tiles’ unveiling, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that the Solar Roof tiles could turn out to be a “Keeping up with the Joneses” situation. If Huynh’s experience is any indication, it appears that Musk’s statements would ring true.
“You want to call your neighbors over and say, ‘Check out the sweet roof.’ It’s like, not a phrase that you hear often, but that’s the key to it. People really care about their homes; they love their homes, and they want them to be better,” Musk said.
Solar Roof installations began last year, though the system was only installed in the homes of Tesla’s executives, such as Elon Musk and JB Straubel, and later, to some of the company’s other employees. Considering that Tesla seems to be starting the installation of the solar tiles for residential customers, as well as reports that its solar factory in Buffalo, NY is ramping up hiring, it appears like the Elon Musk-led energy company is finally accelerating the rollout of its Solar Roof tiles.
Watch E for Electric’s interview with Tri Huynh in the video below.
Tesla Solar Roof customer gives insights on cost and installation process
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All this “click bait” to drive YouTube hits is becoming generally annoying.
How about decoding the real numbers this guy gives for us?
Total system cost? System size. Production estimates. Cost per kwhr. Payback cost and time.. Return on investment.
Why is it necessary for me to look at a YouTube video to get that ?
I doubt I will ever remove my existing roof panels or roof for a TESLA tile roof.. I am in a blue collar area where that extravagance would never bring an equal return in property resale value vs. similar homes on the market.
Beware to not over indulge and chase returns one will never realize.
My current 10.01k panel arrays make 14000 kwhrs a year, I knew how much they cost and efficiency upfront because all were ahead of time…
That’s what’s really attractive to me since I don’t see my panels from inside my home and don’t give a rat’s backside about what other’s see as my meter turns in my favor each day.
I believe my new home buyer will agree once they see my monthly $30 average bill electric bill. Remember, I charge my TESLA MS 90D here to the tune of 4000 kwhrs a year..
Does TELSA have numbers on time degradation of their tiles or offer the industry standard 25 year production numbers?
Was this an outright purchase or a PPA agreement?
Who maintains those tiles and the energy hardware?
One has to have ALL the info before moving forward on a project like that.
Not clicking on any YouTube videos posted here anymore..
I feel like I am being manipulated by half complete articles to drive site revenue for YouTube posters.
Elsewhere, it’s been reported that Tesla quotes about $22 per square foot, while admitting that the solar generating parts are more like double that, but would be used on a fraction of the roof. Since the non-generating parts are not free, it seems they are suggesting well under half the roof would be generating, which implies not on the “north facing” parts of the roof, and only on a fraction of the south facing part. This article should have compared actual costs with this estimate and also given the fraction of the roof that will (eventually) be generating. It would be helpful to have actual costs (installed) separately for the generating and non-generating tiles, but Tesla may not have divulged that to anyone. Transparency is not Tesla’s strong suit.
As for the early Tesla vehicles, the bleeding edge buyers are not so much cost insensitive as they are interested in promoting a good thing by supporting it. Essentially, we view this kind of purchase as a way to get the coolest new stuff for ourselves while donating toward more affordable and widespread applications. It’s an investment we make without hope of return, so that is very much a “donation.”
Elsewhere, it’s been reported that Tesla quotes about $22 per square foot, while admitting that the solar generating parts are more like double that, but would be used on a fraction of the roof. Since the non-generating parts are not free, it seems they are suggesting well under half the roof would be generating, which implies not on the “north facing” parts of the roof, and only on a fraction of the south facing part. This article should have compared actual costs with this estimate and also given the fraction of the roof that will (eventually) be generating. It would be helpful to have actual costs (installed) separately for the generating and non-generating tiles, but Tesla may not have divulged that to anyone. Transparency is not Tesla’s strong suit.
As for the early Tesla vehicles, the bleeding edge buyers are not so much cost insensitive as they are interested in promoting a good thing by supporting it. Essentially, we view this kind of purchase as a way to get the coolest new stuff for ourselves while donating toward more affordable and widespread applications. It’s an investment we make without hope of return, so that is very much a “donation.”
Interesting take. “claim” in quote is nice touch.. honest..
I hope I get into the elite donators level some day
I see roughly $125,000 there with the sheathing upgraded beneath
..and further assuming the roof sub structure is code ready for the weight and possible snow load..
$105,000 w/o
One heck of a donation!
Bit I guess 30% can still come off under the federal tax rebate..
Tesla and its electric cars may have kicked off the party, but other industries are quickly joining the revolution.
For generations of humans, the internal combustion engine has been the go-to solution for many of our needs. We use them every day, to create electricity, work our farms, transport our products, and move us around the globe with relative ease. It has been a spectacularly successful technology, with decades of refinement bringing us the engines we have today. But as ubiquitous as they’ve become, the evidence is mounting that now is the time for their replacement by a cleaner, more efficient, reliable, and flexible technology. We had just been waiting for the right motors and batteries to make it possible.
Today there are many applications where motors and batteries are primarily a direct swap for internal combustion engines. No longer is the discussion reserved for passenger cars alone. Freight trucks, buses, ships, planes, and utilities are all part of the growing list. The technology is proving to be scalable, cost-effective, and flexible enough to apply to a wide variety of societal needs. It’s quickly becoming a “general purpose technology,” arguably to an extent more significant than the internal combustion engine. Electric motors and batteries are becoming the preferred form of motive power — it’s happening right now, allow me to illustrate:
Until recently a reasonably common belief was that electric transport of commercial goods was some far off concept. That transport trucks were too big, too heavy, and traveled too far. I saw this demonstrated last summer at an industry event. The presenter attested that electric freight transport was decades away and the only practical solution was direct combustion of natural gas or hydrogen. That narrative has changed rather quickly. In the fall of 2017, Tesla unveiled their Semi, a $230,000 Class 8 truck capable of 500 miles and 80,000 lbs. The real kicker is that it exceeds the performance of diesel trucks and reduces operating costs by 20%. A shorter range 300-mile version for $190,000 was also announced with production targeted for 2019.
Companies that rely on trucking took notice, with the likes of Pepsi, UPS, FedEx, Walmart, and many others placing hundreds of preorders. It’s a safe bet that many more will follow if those initial orders prove successful. Just this past month UPS wrote how their integrated charging system in London “..signals the beginning of the end of reliance upon traditional combustion engine powered vehicles.” That’s from a company that delivers nearly 5 billion items a year.
While Tesla’s truck is currently the most ambitious, other manufacturers haven’t been sitting idle. Most companies are starting with smaller vehicles for short hauling within cities. Some other hybrid options do exist but the focus here is in on pure electric, as ultimately the preferred solution (versus the increased complexity and maintenance of hybrids).
Daimler’s Fuso brand started delivering their eCanter truck this year, albeit in limited quantities (500 in the first two years). It only has a 62-mile range and a max load capacity of 3 tons. Their Mercedes brand has the eSprinter cargo van is coming later in 2018. Future options with longer range and more capacity aren’t far away though, with their Mercedes eActros truck and E-Fuso Vision One. The eActros is marketed with a range of 125 miles and a max weight capacity of 26 tons (52,000 lbs). It’s already in pilot testing, with 2021 targeted for sales. The Vision One concept is a similar size but nearly double the range at 220 miles.
There’s also electric vehicle giant BYD, which already sells a Class 8 electric truck with 90 miles of range. If you aren’t aware of them, BYD produces the most electric vehicles in the world, most of them as passenger vehicles in China. But they have a large lineup and a growing global reach. They even have an electric garbage truck, two of which were delivered to the city of Palo Alto for pilot testing.
The CEO of Navistar issued his electric challenge early this year, declaring that by 2025 his company would have more electric trucks on the road than Tesla (Navistar has 11% of the Class 8 truck market and is partially owned by Volkswagen).
Tesla’s approach to their Semi may have a competitive advantage. By using motors, inverters, and battery modules produced for their mass-market Model 3, the costs of their truck can be dramatically reduced. There are economies of scale in making millions of virtually identical parts and sharing them between their vehicles. It drives homes the point that electric motive power technology is even more general purpose than internal combustion.
Public transit is undoubtedly a huge overall benefit to air quality in cities, but anyone that’s been spewed by the black smoke of a diesel bus or walked down the street partially holding their breathe may beg to differ. Diesel buses have to go. With constant start-stops and regular periods of idling, they are inherently inefficient (it actually might be the worst application for combustion engines, right after submarines I suppose, or space..). Diesel exhaust isn’t just annoying; it’s a serious hazard to human health.
Electric drives, on the other hand, have regenerative braking and no direct emissions. They are efficient, clean, have drastically lower fuel costs, and require less maintenance. That’s why in my city, the Toronto Transit Commission announced their plans to buy 30 pure electric buses to add to their existing fleet of nearly 700 hybrid buses and 1300 combustion only buses. Los Angeles recently ordered 25 all-electric buses and declared their intent to make their fleet 100% electric by 2030. That’s great, but other parts of the world have us sorely beat. In China, the city of Shenzhen has already completed it’s conversion to fully electric buses, all 16,359 of them serving a city of nearly 12 million people. Check out the video of their fleet below.
(Impressive stuff Shenzhen)
In the USA pure electric buses account for less than 1% of the public transit fleet, with only 300 out of a countrywide fleet of 70,000, according to BNEF. Hybrid buses in the USA look better, accounting for nearly 18% of the fleet according to the US DOE.
Several major cities around the world have announced they will only purchase all-electric buses by 2025, but that seems like eight wasted years. Regardless, the choice will become ever more apparent as battery costs continue to fall cities need to cut operating costs while reducing air pollution.
Before leaving the topic of buses. Blue Bird and Daimler even have electric school buses started deliveries this year. That’s a great application to allow kids learn about electric vehicles while reducing their exposure to diesel exhaust.
Blue Bird Electric School Bus, Image Source Business Wire
Taxi’s and Ride Sharing
Taxi’s and ‘shared’ transportation options are another important part of city transit. Shenzhen is again leading the way, looking to replace all of their combustion taxis by 2020. It may help that BYD’s headquarters are also located in Shenzhen. But even in London, the iconic black taxi’s are going electric. By 2021 London expects 9,000 to be on the road, roughly half their current fleet.
Then there’s Waymo (Google) which recently announced they are purchasing 20,000 Jaguar I-Pace electric cars to be part of their autonomous fleet. Waymo expects those vehicles can replace 1 million combustion vehicle trips per day. That’s something to take note of — that through shared mobility, relatively few electric cars can displace many more combustion vehicle trips.
If none of that excites you, then here’s something. If Elon Musk has his way, there will be a radical new approach to public transit. It requires tunnels, but no tracks and no trains. Instead, by utilizing self-powered autonomous electric “skates,” the Boring Company wants to create a mass transit system that’s more accessible, requires less capital investment, and offers greater flexibility. Here’s a quick video of their vision for the future.
Shipping – Ferries and Cargo Vessels
Shipping over water is very efficient but also very dirty. About half of the world’s shipping fleet uses something called “bunker fuel” which is so viscous it often has to be heated to allow it to flow (in case you were wondering the other half of those ships use diesel). Bunker fuel is also extremely toxic in a spill and highly polluting when combusted. The particulates produced from ship-based combustion alone are estimated to be responsible for 60,000 deaths every year.
Following a now familiar path, the first ships being electrified are for short-range applications. In 2013 the first electric ferry was brought into service in Norway, with spectacular results. The ship is called Ampere, and it reduced CO2 emissions by 95% and cut operating costs by 80%. That one vessel saves over 1 million litres of diesel a year. Its builder, Fjellstrand, now has orders for 53 more electric ferries. Another shipbuilder in Norway, Havyard Group, is also producing electric boats with a recently announced contract to provide 7 for operator Fjord 1. In Canada, our first fully electric ferries have just been ordered to serve on Lake Ontario.
Electric ships aren’t just limited to ferries though. In August 2018 there will be five new autonomous electric barges operating on the inland waterways between the Netherlands and Belgium. They’re relatively small, only capable of carrying 24 20ft containers but six larger barges will follow later in the year. Those will carry 280 containers each and operate out of the ports of Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Rotterdam (pictured below). In China there’s even an electric barge transporting coal, of all things; it’s almost like there’s a fracture in the space-time continuum. It’s hard to imagine they’re doing it for environmental reasons, so the economics must be good.
For large ocean traversing vessels (“Ultra Large Container Vessels”) electrification is more difficult. Their power demands are massive, and the single trip distances traveled are far greater. Solutions here are expected to be more of a hybrid between technologies, including hydrogen, batteries, biofuels, and sail assist. The key thing to note is that the solutions in shipping are scalable and even in the near-term will go a long way to improving air quality on land. (Of course, buying local is often the best solution.)
Using electricity instead of fossil fuels for transport will reduce pollution, which is true everywhere in North America and most of the rest of the world too. The environmental benefits are also improving every year (a previous post goes into this topic in some detail).
Some of those improvements come from reducing the use of diesel and natural gas “peaking plants.” A “peaking plant” is one that can be quickly dispatched to meet demand when other sources of power are unable to respond quickly enough. Coal and nuclear, for example, are very slow to ramp up or down. Battery packs, on the other hand, can ramp even faster than diesel or natural gas and are great at frequency regulation. Storage also allows for more of our power to come from renewables like solar and wind.
Tesla Powerpacks, Source: Tesla
Tesla recently installed the most powerful battery storage system in the world, a 100MW/129 MWh facility in South Australia. From contract signing, it was up and running in 100 days. That “most powerful” battery title won’t last long though. Hyundai is currently building one that’s 50% larger for a smelting company in South Korea. Tesla has at least two more utility projects secured in Australia and is working on a project that will install Powerwall batteries in 50,000 homes, creating a 675 MWh of storage
In the USA, Xcel Energy is planning their massive collection of battery projects, releasing bids in December 2017 for projects totaling 1,050 MW and 7,200 MWh. In California PG&E recently awarded 165MW of battery storage projects and Southern California Edison has a 100MW/400 MWh system awarded. It was only one year ago that California installed a 30MW/120MWh facility, the largest in the USA at that time. Things are moving quickly. For small and medium-sized projects there are now simply too many to note.
The point here is that the battery storage for utility power is growing rapidly. BNEF forecasts that the worldwide market will double six times by 2030 (60x was it is today). In the USA GTM forecasts an annual installation increase of 10x by 2022. That’s only five years from now! And it’s not surprising why. A report from the World Bank shows costs continue to reduce for Li-ion batteries on both utility-scale and residential installations, even relative to other storage technologies (graphs below). The solutions are also easily scalable, as seen by the residential and utility examples. These are the same batteries as those going into electric cars, trucks, buses, and ships. Further lending to the arguments of economies of scale and the ubiquity of the technology to serve our needs.
Small Engines – Motorcycles, etc
Motorcycles shouldn’t be left out of this discussion. Why? Because there are approximately 200 million of them globally and they emit more pollution per mile than a car (~10x more in fact). Thankfully electric options are here too. There’s Vespa, which has their first electric moped coming out in 2018 and Zero, which produces only pure electric motorbikes. Harley Davidson is even developing one under the name Project Livewire (it’s gorgeous). There are also hundreds of companies producing electric scooters, a transport solution which is common in many parts of the world. A colleague recently told me how impressed he was with the battery swapping programs for scooters in Indonesia, for example.
And at the risk of lumping in lawn mowers with motorcycles, even traditionally gas-powered devices like lawn mowers, weed eaters, and snow blowers are rapidly switching to electric.
Harley-Davidson – Project Livewire
Airplanes – Commuter Hybrids, All Electric Future
It’s going to be a long time before pure electric intercontinental flights are operating (energy density is the main problem), but smaller airplanes and hybrids are being developed right now. It’s not just by NASA and a few startups either. Boeing and Airbus both have programs underway. Airbus has partnered with Siemens and Rolls Royce to develop the E-Fan X pictured below. It’s a hybrid-electric demonstrator aircraft with test flights planned for 2020. Boeing is working with Zunum Aero out of Seattle, developing a hybrid passenger plane. Zunum hopes to be selling their 12 seat hybrid aircraft by 2022. The design uses two electric motors, which are fed by a battery, which is in turn charged by a jet fuel burning generator, leading to greater overall efficiency. Electrically propelled aircraft also open up some interesting possibilities in design, such as fan arrays and vertical takeoffs.
Airlines are also looking to electrified planes to reduce costs and emissions. EasyJet announced plans last year to develop a hybrid hydrogen aircraft with their partner Wright Electric. Founded by engineers from NASA, Boeing, and Cessna, Wright already has a two-seater prototype. There’s also the big announcement by Norway’s public air transport operator, Avinor, which earlier this year declared their intention for all short-haul flights to be pure electric by 2040.
Airbus/Siemens/RollsRoyce
The Point
All the indicators are there. Electric motors and batteries are proliferating throughout our society. It’s quickly becoming our new go-to “general purpose technology.” It simply has too many benefits and yet much innovation ahead.
This is all to our benefit. Technological revolutions are required to keep our civilization moving forward; it’s one of the ways new jobs are created. But perhaps even more importantly, electrification brings greater efficiency and reduced pollution (yes CO2 is a pollutant when in sufficient quantities that would render life on this planet inhospitable). That last part is important because if we don’t make changes to these industries now, we won’t have much of a civilization left to worry about.
Personally, I’m encouraged by the progress being made. I attended a Q&A session for a program funding low carbon solutions. Several separate groups asked about funding for electric freight, electric ferries, electric buses, electric commercial car fleets, and battery storage. Obviously, interest has really taken off. A year ago people were barely convinced about electric cars and now, as important as they are, electrification isn’t just about passenger cars anymore.
Tesla paved the way for EVs but electrification isn’t just about cars anymore
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Complete electrification of transportation seems to be on track for mid-century, although I think we still need supercapacitors in the mix before we get there. Container ships going 10,000 miles non-stop, and aircraft doing the same are likely to be the last to fall. That just leaves space ships going into orbit. If only there were a right-minded billionaire somewhere working on that! Of course transportation is not the whole economy, far from it, and it’s the whole economy that needs decarbonised, but what looked hopeless 20 years ago now looks promising to me at least.
Recent reports have emerged stating that Tesla has hired White House veteran Alexandra Veitch as its new North American lead for government relations and policy. Veitch, who served as a Special Assistant to former US President Barack Obama in the past, is reportedly starting her employment in Tesla today.
News of Veitch’s appointment was reported by American political news agency Politico, which dubbed the White House veteran as an “Obama Alumni,” and more recently, the VP for government relations at CSRA, a tech contractor for the US government. Veitch’s LinkedIn page still does not indicate that she works for Tesla, but a quick look at her background and past employment suggests that she would be an excellent hire for the electric car maker and energy company.
Veitch describes herself in her LinkedIn profile as someone who has “extensive experience at the highest levels of both the legislative and executive branch.” Her more than ten years worth of experience on Capitol Hill is also emphasized.
Prior to her reported employment at Tesla, Veitch served as the VP of Government Relations for CSRA Inc. During her stay with the IT provider, she helped the company “refine and promote a unique public policy view for a new company, establishing CSRA as a leader on issues to include cybersecurity, IT modernization, and good government.”
Tesla reportedly welcomes White House veteran Alexandra Veitch as its new North American lead for government relations and policy. [Credit: LinkedIn]
Before joining CSRA Inc. on January 2017, Veitch served at the White House. From September 2015-January 2017, she worked as a Special Assistant to then-US President Barack Obama. According to Veitch’s LinkedIn profile, she “managed the President’s relationships with nearly 100 Members of Congress – both Democrats and Republicans, members of leadership, and Chairs and Ranking Members of committees – and represented his interests to legislative leaders.” She also served as the “subject matter expert within the White House on the legislative and oversight activities of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.”
Veitch was also employed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Legislative Affairs in the US Department of Homeland Security. She was also a Senior Advisor and Director of Speechwriting to US politician Nancy Pelosi for more than seven years, from August 2005 – December 2012.
Alexandra Veitch has a Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, where she graduated cum laude. She also has a Masters in International Studies from the University of Sydney, Australia.
If Politico’s report proves accurate, Tesla would have gained a veteran in the government relations field with Veitch’s hiring. Her expertise, after all, would definitely come in handy, considering the circumstances surrounding the company. After all, while Tesla’s shares continue to rise in the stock market amid improvements in the Model 3 line, the company is still facing an investigation from the NTSB about a fatal Model X crash last month near Mountain View, CA, on top of an ongoing recall for the Model S. If Veitch’s background is any indication, however, Tesla’s government relations and policy would now be led by very experienced hands.
Tesla hires former White House official to lead Gov’t Relations & Policy for North America
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Tesla Inc. is reportedly ramping up its recruitment efforts at its Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, NY, with the company set to hold five information sessions over the next month to seek out potential employees for the 1.2-million-square-foot facility.
Tesla’s recruitment initiatives were reported on local news agency The Buffalo News, which stated that the company is attempting to hire more workers amid Tesla’s production of its highly-anticipated Solar Roof tiles. The five information sessions are reportedly Tesla’s most extensive in-person hiring initiative for its energy branch since the company acquired SolarCity back in 2016.
A look at Tesla’s Careers page shows almost three dozen job openings for the Buffalo, NY facility. Among the open positions are posts for CAD/Revit modelers, environmental health and safety technicians, maintenance supervisors, and equipment maintenance technicians, to name a few. According to the publication, Tesla, just like its partner, Panasonic, would be offering a $14/hour pay for entry-level posts.
Tesla’s production jobs will reportedly be built around 12-hour shifts, with four shifts of workers working from Monday to Sunday. There will be two day shifts running from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; one running from Sunday to Tuesday and another running from Thursday to Saturday. The two night shifts for Gigafactory 2 are set to run from 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., and will follow the same system for the employees’ working days.
Tesla’s hiring ramp for the Buffalo, NY Gigafactory 2 comes at a time when customer installations of the company’s Solar Roof tiles appear to be starting. Just recently, we reported on what could very well be the first installation of Tesla Solar Roofs on a residential unit. The owner of the house, who goes by the handle @Toblerhaus on Twitter, shared photos of the 9.9 kW system. As noted by the Twitter user, the solar tiles were every bit as beautiful as her family had hoped.
A Solar Roof tile installation on a residential unit. [Credit: @Toblerhaus/Twitter]
A Solar Roof tile installation on a residential unit. [Credit: @Toblerhaus/Twitter]
A Solar Roof tile installation on a residential unit. [Credit: @Toblerhaus/Twitter]
Tesla teased a photo of its employee Solar Roof installation on the 2017 Second Quarter Update Letter
As we noted in a previous report, Tesla had begun the production of Solar Roof tiles in Gigafactory 2 late last year. According to an email from the Elon Musk-led company, production of the solar shingles started in December, with the first customer installations expected to begin in the following months. Considering reports from customers like @Toblerhaus, it appears that Tesla’s target for the Solar Roof installations is within schedule.
Tesla’s Solar Roofs, together with the home Powerwall 2 battery unit, are part of the company’s goals of helping its customers achieve “sustainable energy independence,” as noted in a investor communication from Q2 2017. Initially manufactured in the Fremont factory, the solar shingles, which are designed to look identical to traditional roofing material, were eventually produced in the 1.2-million-square-foot Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, NY. Production of the Solar Roofs was initially planned for the summer of 2017, though this date was eventually moved to 2018.
Tesla Gigafactory 2 to ramp hiring efforts as Solar Roof installations begin
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Tesla’s proposed 250 MW/650 MWh virtual power plant for South Australia could still push through, as newly-elected premier Steven Marshall took a step back from his hardline approach and adopted a softer stance on the energy project.
In a recent statement, Marshall assured his constituents that existing renewable energy contracts from the previous administration, such as the Tesla SA virtual power plant, would not be unceremoniously discontinued under his government. With this in mind, the first two stages of Tesla’s plan for the virtual power plant, which involves the installation of solar panels and Powerwall 2 batteries to the first 1,100 homes in the network, could still proceed.
According to a report from Australia-based publication Renew Economy, Marshall’s change of heart with regards to Tesla’s virtual power plant appears to have been affected by the backlash he received after announcing that the project would “not be part” of his administration’s agenda. Spoken just before he was sworn into office, the brazen statement incited a lot of strong reactions from SA citizens, especially in social media.
A simple social media tally from the publication’s Facebook account, for one, showed that 88% of the social network’s users who reacted to the article gave a negative response to Marshall’s statements on Monday. The vast majority (73%) who responded to the news through Facebook even expressed outright anger at the premier’s comments.
Marshall’s bold statements on Monday expressing his lack of support for Tesla’s 250 MW/650 MWh virtual power plant appeared to be a knee-jerk reaction due to his political affiliation. On Monday, Marshall, who is from the Liberal Party, seemed to take an overly critical and dismissive stance on programs that the previous Labor-led government started, including plans that would benefit the region’s citizens.
As we noted in a previous report, Marshall wanted to replace Tesla’s virtual power plant plan with a $100 million government subsidy for 40,000 residential units. Under Marshall’s program, residents who already have solar panels installed in their homes would receive a $2,500 subsidy for home battery packs. Overall, the newly elected premier’s project would involve an upfront investment — something that Tesla’s target demographic for its ambitious initiative would likely not be able to provide.
From a financial standpoint, Tesla and the previous administration’s proposal for the 250 MW/650 MWh virtual power plant seems like a far more practical choice for the government. The virtual power plant’s upfront cost, which includes a $2 million grant and another $30 million from the Renewable Technology fund, after all, is lower than the $100 million that the government would have to invest in Marshall’s proposal.
If completed, the South Australia virtual power plant could provide about six times more energy than Tesla’s 100 MW/129 MWh Powerpack farm near Jamestown. Due to the aggregated design of the virtual power plant, the 50,000 households in the network could not only store power for themselves; they could also provide additional grid services when the need arises.
Tesla’s ‘virtual power plant’ in SA still alive after government official takes softer stance
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Tesla’s 100 MW/129MWh Powerpack system near Jamestown in South Australia is proving to be so quick in providing backup power to the energy grid that 30-40% of the services it provides end up unpaid. The electric car and energy company claims that this is due to SA’s legacy utility billing system not being optimized for the big battery’s response time.
Tesla’s earnings from its big battery installation currently follow the standards set by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), which breaks down a power provider’s response time into 6 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes for energy to be fed into the grid. Tesla’s SA Powerpack farm near Jamestown, however, has been providing backup energy in as quick as 200 milliseconds. Thus, any amount of energy sent from Tesla’s battery into the grid that lasts between 200 milliseconds and 6 seconds is just too quick to be registered according to AEMO’s current specifications.
In a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald, Tesla stated that around 30%-40% of services provided by the SA big battery ended up unpaid due to the system’s quick response time. Tesla further asserted that AEMO’s standards are currently designed for fossil fuel-based backup systems, which respond to energy grid instabilities far slower than the industry-grade Powerpack batteries.
“Tesla estimates that the Hornsdale Power Reserve battery has delivered 30 to 40% of its services to frequency markets without being paid due to existing AEMO technical specifications being written based on fossil fuel generation assets.
“Current standards compensate batteries for their capacity based on fossil generator response rates, despite the ability to provide a faster ramp time. This makes it difficult for the full value of fast-responding technologies to be recognized in the current contingency FCAS markets.”
Over the past few months, Tesla’s SA Powerpack farm, which currently stands as the largest lithium-ion battery installation in the world, has been pivotal in stabilizing the energy grid in South Australia. Last December alone, Tesla’s 100 MW/129MWh installation accomplished a huge feat, keeping the region’s energy stable amidst the unexpected failure of the coal-powered Loy Yang A power plant in Victoria. During that time, Tesla’s Powerpacks backed up the grid within 0.14 seconds after the unexpected breakdown of the coal-powered plant. The system also supported the grid hundreds of times over the course of the month.
The performance of Tesla’s big battery in South Australia was recently examined by energy expert Hugh Saddler, who studied the charge and discharge patterns of the installation. Over the course of his tests, Saddler noted that the Powerpack farm exhibited great efficiency, with 30% of the battery’s 100MW capacity being allocated to the system’s daily charge and discharge cycles, and the rest being allotted to keep the energy grid’s frequency at a steady 50 Hz and 240 volts.
Tesla’s energy initiatives in South Australia recently met a series of roadblocks, however, with South Australia resource minister Matt Canavan mocking the SA Powerpack farm by calling it the “Kardashian” of the energy industry and alleging that the installation is simply “famous for being famous.” Newly-elected South Australia premier Steven Marshall has also gone on the offensive against the Elon Musk-led company’s projects, stating that his government would not be supporting Tesla’s proposal of building a 250 MW/650 MWh virtual power plant from 50,000 low-income residential units and home Powerwall 2 systems.
Tesla says its SA battery response time is too fast for utility billing system
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Are you being sarcastic? You think customers would rather wait 7 seconds for their power to be restored instead of so fast they didn’t even know it needed restoring?
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