Help with Lithium Battery Production??

[Big Tom]

Hi Everyone,
I'm trying to find someone experienced in manufacturing lithium cells and batteries that would consult regarding the process. The government of Costa Rica is interested in exploring the possibility of making batteries in their country. For those not familiar with Costa Rica, they are a very eco friendly country that has a new mandate to be carbon neutral by 2021.
While in Costa Rica last week I was invited to meet with one of their training ministries, INA. We discussed e-bikes and the need for local battery production for them to succeed. They would like to know more and I am not qualified, trying to find someone for them who is.
To learn about INA their website is ina.ac.cr
I am doing this as a favor for the director of the school of mechanics. This is a chance to make a difference in the future of a country that wants to be the leader in sustainability.
Please PM with questions
Thanks
Tom Paxton

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Hi Everyone,
I'm trying to find someone experienced in manufacturing lithium cells and batteries that would consult regarding the process. The government of Costa Rica is interested in exploring the possibility of making batteries in their country. For those not familiar with Costa Rica, they are a very eco friendly country that has a new mandate to be carbon neutral by 2021.
While in Costa Rica last week I was invited to meet with one of their training ministries, INA. We discussed e-bikes and the need for local battery production for them to succeed. They would like to know more and I am not qualified, trying to find someone for them who is.
To learn about INA their website is ina.ac.cr
I am doing this as a favor for the director of the school of mechanics. This is a chance to make a difference in the future of a country that wants to be the leader in sustainability.
Please PM with questions
Thanks
Tom Paxton

This is going to be a multi-million $$ endeavor. Assembling cells into battery packs is so much easier than producing cells themselves.
Giants like Samsung, LG, Sony have invested billions of $ to build a production facility. From economic standpoint, it would be a HUGE uphill task to compete with them and make it work. it would be cheaper to just buy from them and assemble into packs.

Why not franchise Gigafactory products or Samsung products?

 

[Big Tom]

This is going to be a multi-million $$ endeavor. Assembling cells into battery packs is so much easier than producing cells themselves.
Giants like Samsung, LG, Sony have invested billions of $ to build a production facility. From economic standpoint, it would be a HUGE uphill task to compete with them and make it work. it would be cheaper to just buy from them and assemble into packs.

Why not franchise Gigafactory products or Samsung products?

I realize there will be investment, and the government may be able to provide help. Those are the things that need to be presented and discussed. I agree assembly is the first place to start, however it should not be the last.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

One of the things I would suggest is that there seem to be quite a few technical conferences on battery and energy storage technology. Even if you can't make it to one of those conferences see if you can find some of the presentations and proceedings on-line. Keep track of which names keep popping up at those conferences as well.

@Ravi Kempaiah made an excellent point about the amount of financial capital that you'd need to make this happen. I also would not underestimate the human capital you would need as well. At a minimum you will need three distinct kinds of engineers:

• Engineers who can design lithium batteries.
• Engineers who can design the manufacturing process for those lithium batteries.
• Engineers who can operate the designed manufacturing process for those lithium batteries.

I cannot overemphasize that those three things are completely distinct skill sets.

One other option to consider is to work a second-sourcing deal with one of the big players.

Best of luck.

 

[AHicks]

I am at a total loss trying to understand the concept that for e-bikes to be practical in Costa Rica, they would have to manufacture the batteries for their use in Costa Rica. My thought is that somebody has been misinformed.

 

[Big Tom]

I am at a total loss trying to understand the concept that for e-bikes to be practical in Costa Rica, they would have to manufacture the batteries for their use in Costa Rica. My thought is that somebody has been misinformed.

Costa Rica sees the future of electric vehicles and understands nothing moves without a power source. To bring the manufacturing local would be a good source of jobs that would be sustained by internal consumption. This would assure their mandate to be carbon neutral has a chance to succeed. They are a sustainable country and that is what being sustainability is about.
They are not available and can only arrive by boat marked as dangerous goods. Without batteries you have no power, without power you cannot run electric vehicles. Germany just announced a drive to increase their battery production, understanding that lithium batteries are important to the future and a local source is essential.

 

[AHicks]

Tom, I have nothing to back this on, but I suspect that if everyone in Cost Rica rode an e-bike there would still not be enough demand for batteries that would justify local production. When you have manufacturers in China working on super thin profit margins, and making batteries on an incredibly large scale, comparing the price those can be bought at to what it might cost to not just purchase your locally made batteries, but to build the facility capable of making them, purchase the materials, etc. I think you are kidding yourself - unless you are expecting some kind of huge govt. subsidy to make them artificially affordable.

Best of luck!

 

[Big Tom]

Tom, I have nothing to back this on, but I suspect that if everyone in Cost Rica rode an e-bike there would still not be enough demand for batteries that would justify local production. When you have manufacturers in China working on super thin profit margins, and making batteries on an incredibly large scale, comparing the price those can be bought at to what it might cost to not just purchase your locally made batteries, but to build the facility capable of making them, purchase the materials, etc. I think you are kidding yourself - unless you are expecting some kind of huge govt. subsidy to make them artificially affordable.

Best of luck!

Ebikes are not the only thing lithium batteries are used for. Batteries are a storage device and lithium batteries are ideal for off grid solar applications. The big picture for any country is to be energy independent and part of that involves energy storage.