Prices of key battery metals — especially lithium — have fallen dramatically since January, due to significant growth in production capacity across all parts of the battery value chain, from.
Battery prices are resuming a long-term trend of decline, following an unprecedented increase last year. According to BloombergNEF's annual lithium-ion battery price survey, average pack prices fell to INR 139 per kilowatt hour this year, a 14% drop from INR 161/kWh in 2022. This is the largest decline observed in our survey since 2018.
Given this, BNEF expects average battery pack prices to drop again next year, reaching $133/kWh (in real 2023 dollars). Technological innovation and manufacturing improvement should drive further declines in battery pack prices in the coming years, to $113/kWh in 2025 and $80/kWh in 2030.
BloombergNEF's annual battery price survey finds a 14% drop from 2022 to 2023 New York, November 27, 2023 – Following unprecedented price increases in 2022, battery prices are falling again this year. The price of lithium-ion battery packs has dropped 14% to a record low of $139/kWh, according to analysis by research provider BloombergNEF (BNEF).
BNEF said that local battery manufacturing in regions such as the United States and Europe can drive up prices in the short term due to the price of energy, equipment, land and labor in these regions compared to Asia. “However, as the industry matures, these costs could end up falling,” it said.
Will battery prices drop again in 2024?
Miners and metals traders surveyed expect prices for key battery metals like lithium, nickel and cobalt to ease further in 2024. Given this, BNEF expects average battery pack prices to drop again next year, reaching $133/kWh (in real 2023 dollars).
As the auto industry grapples with how to make affordable EVs, the task may get easier by one key metric. Battery prices are resuming a long-term trend of decline, following an unprecedented increase last year.