The Journey of an Electric VehicleFrom raw materials to recycling
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Building the Pack

Building the Pack

Graphite — Forms the negative electrode, storing lithium ions when the battery is charged.Aluminum — Acts as the cathode current collector foil and forms structural casing around the cell pack.Nickel — The primary energy deliverer. Higher nickel content directly extends driving range.Copper — Acts as the anode current collector foil due to its high electrical conductivity.Steel — Provides structural armor around the battery pack to protect against crash impacts.Manganese — Stabilizes the internal chemical structure, ensuring safety and thermal regulation.Cobalt — Prevents thermal runaway and cathode degradation, maximizing battery lifespan.Lithium — The charge carrier. Shuttles back and forth as ions to create electrical current.

Composition by weight

  • Graphite

    52 kg · 28.9%

  • Nickel

    29 kg · 16.1%

  • Copper

    20 kg · 11.1%

  • Manganese

    10 kg · 5.6%

  • Cobalt

    8 kg · 4.4%

  • Lithium

    6 kg · 3.3%

  • Supporting materials

    55 kg · 30.5%

Cell → module → pack

Battery cost over time (USD/kWh)

2010: $1,191/kWh — Nissan Leaf and Tesla Roadster launch; early mass-market EV batteries remain costly.$1,19120102013: $684/kWh — Battery costs fall sharply as manufacturing scales and chemistry improves.$68420132016: $350/kWh — Gigafactory-scale production begins driving costs down further.$35020162019: $157/kWh — Costs approach parity with comparable internal combustion components.$15720192022: $151/kWh — Raw material and supply chain pressures cause a temporary cost plateau.$15120222024: $118/kWh — Costs resume their decline as supply chains stabilize and scale continues.$11820242026: ~$100/kWh (projection) — Projected: costs approach the widely-cited $100/kWh combustion price-parity threshold.~$100Projection2026

Representative industry data