Great catch on the Silver VAT…….re Solid state batteries, the Silver content I gather is vital due to the chemical reactions, particularly in halting the major floor in LiOn batteries, where tendril like reactions occur and eventualy the battery can catch fire , though not always…..it also causes the life extension and the speed of charge….I gather the silver is used as membrane that seperates the other metals and reacts with them. I am no engineer /phycist….details may be wrong.
So far nothing else will work……as to cost 1 kilo @ $ 500 is @ $ 17500….so far the cars that will get those batteries are over $ 100,000 already. So for all the advantages a 17 % increase is no big deal.
Also the price will over shoot massively, commodity prices nearly always do …back in the 80’s we sniffed $ 50 in Jan 1980 and within 3 months March ’80 the low was $ 11.10…..though that was of course due to breaking the Hunt squeeze…..but over shoots are common.
PS love the word shonky…so Aussie….u very rarely hear/see it anywhere else, but it is so descriptive. .
