Very wordy reply PP which is all just theory.
I'm sorry, are you suggesting that the technological progression for batteries is somehow different from every other technology in history? Or that 65 years of data showing they are following that same pattern are somehow irrelevant?
If you have another theory about how technology progresses, or have any evidence whatsoever that progress in batteries is about to break the historical pattern just a few years before they reach the point of being truly economical, I would honestly like to know.
Im more interested in the real world situation.
IE lead batteries cost more now (real cost,..Mars bar/McDonalds equivalent).. Than they did 40 years ago.
Right - that particular type of "battery" reached its technological limit based on physics (Pb acid simply won't hold a lot more energy than it already does) and the cost of materials.
Since then there have been two successful major chemistry innovations and multiple minor tweaks breathing new life into "batteries." For the major improvements first was NiCad, then Lithium Ion.
Likewise lipo cost is the same if not more than when i first bought 10-12 yrs ago ..real dollars, retail prices.
That is simply false. Todays batteries have tweaked the chemistry of LiIon (such as LiFePo) and provide many more charge cycles than the earlier versions - providing lower cost per Kwh stored and released over its lifetime when properly used.
But , you said Teslas recent price reduction?
Right - Tesla tweaked their batteries in a new form factor, providing a boost in energy density / total energy for about the same price.
and i asked which recent Tesla price reduction ?..they infact recently increased.
Manufacturers are notoriously closed mouth about actual costs, but there have been multiple articles indicating that costs were dropping towards $100/Kwh and that battery life has during that same period increased. Again - do NOT focus on a single manufacturer's product. Pricing strategies distort the trends. Tesla can charge more for their batteries because people are driving their cars. I am focused on the bigger picture of possible grid storage as well as EV battery trends.
Note the referenced article which states that ....
...."Teslas batteries cost more today than when they were introduced 2 years ago ."
Purchase price is not indicative of cost, and varies considerably more than cost (responding to market forces). Perhaps you are confusing the two? In any event, price changes are offset by charge cycle improvements, and looking at pricing changes for a
specific product are again irrelevant especially over the short term. I will say it again - the exponential price decline is across the industry of "batteries." For example, you could put together a pack of A123 cells and, due to the greater number of lifetime charge cycles, the lifetime value would be better than a Tesla pack when chosen for the right purpose. Also, the trend may be stair-stepped over the short term.