Yeah, I think we can safely drop the idea of a $5000 pack. They will have to invent some magic mo-jo to pull that off. I think it is just a typo that has propagated. If we can have 100+ mile Li-ion packs for $5000, then the whole game changes.... like NOW.
That is not too far off. I just bought a big pack of LiFFePO4 batteries from China for a RAV4 EV conversion that we are doing. 34 kwh is the size. 105 units of 100 Amp hour large format batteries.
The total cost was $11,550 or about $1.10 per amp hour. I am positive that if we bought in a larger bulk order that it would drop in price another 20%.
So realistically I could get that battery pack for around $9,000 if I was making a larger order.
If a buyer is making a smaller order in the USA, it is about 50% more expensive than what I paid. But a larger company buying in the millions of dollars would pay less.
That 2009 RAV4 will do about 100+ miles of range once it is converted. Highway capable at 90 mph top speed. Projected life of the batteries is 100,000 miles or 7 years.
We are not that far away from $5,000 for a 100 mile range lithium battery pack. I think within two or three years we will be there.