In the long run, the cost of lithium-sulfur batteries is expected to be lower than that of lithium-ion batteries. This is primarily due to the abundance and low cost of sulfur, which can significantly reduce production costs compared to the expensive materials such as cobalt used in lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-sulfur batteries have the potential to be about half the cost of lithium-ion batteries, although they currently face challenges such as shorter cycle life and safety issues, which researchers are actively working to address.
Key Cost Considerations:
- Material Cost: Sulfur is much cheaper than the metals used in lithium-ion batteries. For example, sulfur costs around $382/MT, compared to cobalt at $75K/MT.
- Production Economics: The use of sulfur could lead to lower manufacturing costs due to its abundance and low price, potentially reducing the overall cost of battery production by up to 40%.
- Future Development: As technology advances and production scales up, the cost-effectiveness of lithium-sulfur batteries is expected to become more pronounced, making them a promising alternative for electric vehicles and other applications.
However, lithium-ion batteries have a well-established production infrastructure and economies of scale, which currently make them cheaper in many contexts, despite their higher material costs. Long-term cost advantages of lithium-sulfur batteries will depend on overcoming existing technical challenges and achieving mass production efficiencies.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-cost-of-lithium-sulfur-batteries-compare-to-lithium-ion-batteries-in-the-long-run/
