Charge of the lithium brigade

Article contradicts itself and reality to make lithium ion seem more expensive. First it says that batteries typically cost $500 / kWh, so that a battery for a "small electric car can cost around $10,000". (As an aside, Nissan will sell me a replacement battery for my LEAF for $5499. [1]) This is $229.13 / kWh, because my LEAF has a 24 kWh battery.

Then it says Tesla is selling the 10kWh PowerWall for $3500, which of course is $350 / kWh.

Sloppy reporting. I expect better from the Economist.

1 - http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1092983_nissan-leaf-batt...

I really wish that sodium sulfur batteries were seeing more research. They are one of the simplest batteries, and also have one of the highest energy densities. Their main drawback is the need to run at 300 C (575 F). By comparison, an oven bakes between about 175 C to 250 C (350 F to 500 F) and has a cleaning cycle of about 500 C (900 F).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium–sulfur_battery

http://www.kemet.com/Lists/TechnicalArticles/Attachments/121...

I’m more concerned about the 100 pounds of sulphur in an electric vehicle battery than the temperature. An accident in water could be particularly explosive. Then again, we use things all of the time that contain poisonous or explosive compounds.

So what I think would have tremendous potential (cough) is the mass production of small AA size sodium sulphur batteries. I picture them strung together like a chain for a reel to reel tape player, so only the read/write head would be hot. Play to charge, rewind to discharge, how hard is that?. This is 1960s technology. The only esoteric component is the beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE), the rest could be assembled by anybody.

The future is almost certainly high density batteries with supercapacitor assist. Sodium sulphur batteries could be the bridge until Moore’s Law of lithium batteries makes them affordable.

P.S. Just or fun: the nickel-iron battery:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel–iron_battery

These should have long ago replaced lead-acid batteries (which are probably only used due to their short lifetime which promotes a thriving production infrastructure, much like razor blades).

Shouldn't it be this link ? http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21651928-...