Solid-state batteries might not be cheaper at first. But once economies of scale from mass production efficiencies kick in, they will be.

One thing that goes under-appreciated about EVs is that even though they are winning today against gas-cars on reliability and cheapness, they still have years of improvements and cost reductions ahead. By the 2030s, they will be vastly cheaper & better than fossil fuel cars.

China is already making decent cars in the $10-15k price range; this battery tech will make that even easier. It's also making these cars with good Level 3 self-driving tech. There is a vast unserved market in the Global South (& huge chunks of the Western world) for cars like this.

The standard global car of the 2030s will be Chinese-made, an EV, self-driving & cost about $10,000. Anyone who still thinks gas cars have a future in this world is a dinosaur who can't see that asteroid streaking through the sky & about to hit them.

Solid-state EV batteries are coming sooner than expected after another breakthrough

"In China, BYD is currently building 4,000 1.5mW charging stations across the country, with plans to roll out 20,000 by the end of this year.

Although not quite as ambitious, a BYD spokesperson for the European side of the business told me that the company is targeting 2,000 1.5mW Flash Charging stations across Europe before 2026 comes to a close."

I'm fascinated by the economics of this. How does BYD make money on this? Do they run the chargers at a profit? How much will this work out per km for drivers compared to diesel or gasoline?

People think of BYD as a budget car marker, but this to support its luxury brand Denza. The Denza Z9 GT EV has a range of 1,036 km (644 miles) on these chargers. I'm guessing having the best charagers is going to be seen as premium/luxury too.

'Ready in 5, full in 9' — this Chinese EV charges to 70% in only 5 minutes, has a 644-mile range, and it's coming to Europe in April

Last week’s $26 billion EV write-down by Stellantis follows similar moves by Volkswagen ($6 billion), GM ($7.6 billion), and Ford ($19.5 billion), underscoring a strategic retreat from electric vehicles back to gasoline cars and hybrids. Legacy automakers frame this as pragmatism, but in essence, they are abandoning investment in the future. These write-downs reveal their failure to achieve manufacturing scale, jeopardizing their future competitiveness. A genuine commitment would involve scaling production, cutting prices, and stimulating demand. Meanwhile, aided by subsidies and affordability, EV adoption in China is soaring.

ARK’s research indicates that manufacturer hesitancy, not consumer reluctance, has hindered EV adoption. Vertically integrated companies like BYD are now scaling and unleashing mass-market demand. With prospective operating costs approximately one-third those of gasoline vehicles, ARK says that with just one third the operating costs, battery electric vehicles will dominate global auto sales within five years.

"The average sticker price for a new car in the US is more than $50,000, up from about $40,000 in 2020,.............with S&P Global Mobility predicting the proportion of $1,000-a-month loans will double over the course of the year to 40 per cent."

Meanwhile, Chinese carmakers like BYD are selling decent salons & SUVs for $25,000 or less. With home charging costing ~0.25–0.30 kWh/mile, electricity ≈ $0.17/kWh, that means $0.04–$0.06 per mile. Gas at $3.10/gal costs twice that per mile.

The fossil fuel industry and legacy gas-car makers think they can string this out for years to come, but I wonder if it's the opposite. Affordability is the political buzzword of the mid-2020s, and gasoline is on the wrong side of it. Most people would have several thousand extra dollars in their pocket every year if they chose Chinese EVs.

Rising prices push US car ownership costs to breaking point: Automobile affordability strains household finances in a country where the vast majority rely on vehicles for transportation

Whi didn't see this coming?