EV adoption will surge—take it from someone leading a battery tech startup after 17 years at GM
Battery tech on the horizon will make electric vehicles “truly irresistible to consumers,” says Sion Power’s Pam Fletcher.
I have long believed in electric vehicles. It started with my fascination with technology and with the amazing driving experience that EVs offer: the smooth liquid acceleration, the quiet ride, the cocoon-like feeling when you’re in stop-and-go traffic isolated from all around you, and, most excitingly, the “kick in the pants” acceleration when you step on the throttle. Today, above all of that, I would add that the elimination of tailpipe emissions brings much-needed benefits to our environment. I am now even more excited about an all-electric future because technology on the horizon will make EVs truly irresistible to consumers.
Having spent much of my career on the front end of technology in the automotive industry, electrification is in my DNA. I was privileged to lead General Motors’ electric vehicle programs for over a decade. During that time, two of the most transformational electrified vehicles were launched, the Chevrolet Volt and the Chevrolet Bolt, and we began the early work on the amazing offerings being launched today, such as the Cadillac Lyriq, the 2024 German Car of the Year.
We introduced the Volt in 2010. It became the first mass-produced extended-range EV—a vehicle with a big battery and backup gas engine allowing people to experience the thrill of fully electric driving with no range anxiety—sold by any major automaker. The Bolt, launched in 2016, was the first long-range fully electric vehicle sold in the U.S. at an affordable price. Both cars were showered with innovation awards and had longer lives than initially planned. The Volt saw two generations, and the Bolt lives on with “a family of Bolts” slated for the 2026 model year.
EV sales
Today, despite rumors to the contrary, consumers are buying EVs in record numbers. EVs are the fastest-growing vehicle segment in the U.S., with sales setting another record in the third quarter of this year. Kelly Blue Book projections suggest that U.S. EV sales are on track to hit about 1.3 million in 2024. EVs hit an all-time high share of new vehicle sales at nearly 9%, compared with a scant 3% only a few years ago, putting the 10% milestone within close reach. According to Gartner, by the end of 2025, 85 million EVs—cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks—are expected to be on the road globally.
So, what will drive mass adoption? We’ve all heard that the most significant barriers are cost, range, and access to charging. I want to add “choice” to that list. Much of the recent growth in EV sales is because consumers now have more choices in the kinds of EVs available to them and at a wider price range. More than 40 EV models are available today in the U.S. in all shapes and sizes, at various price points, from multiple brands. Another nearly 20 new models are expected to debut in 2025. These vehicles have varying styles and capabilities, ranging from luxury sedans to full-size pickups.
While make and model options continue to expand, cost, range, and charge time remain hurdles to overcome. But we undoubtedly can expect greater EV adoption to continue in the coming years, driven by battery technology. New chemistries and tech will improve costs, increase consumer affordability, extend the driving range, and speed up charging times. They will also enable more design flexibility, leading to even wider consumer choice.
The Volt, Bolt, and other early EVs were enabled by the emergence of lithium-ion technology. Today, manufacturers continue to tweak that technology to eke out incremental performance improvements, but they have plateaued in terms of major advancements. To overcome the primary challenges facing potential EV buyers, we need a generational leap in battery performance to unlock the next round of iconic vehicles. I have every intention of being part of that.
Design flexibility
I spent about two years at Delta Airlines leading sustainability, and it was an incredible experience, but I was drawn back to the auto industry to become CEO of Sion Power because of the potential I see in new technology. At Sion Power, we’re focused on lithium metal technology that I truly believe will leapfrog the performance of current batteries and address barriers to mass adoption.
Sion has developed innovative lithium-metal technology called Licerion. Think of a battery cell as a club sandwich with multiple layers. In the anode, we replace the thickest layer—the graphite layer—with a much thinner, much lighter lithium metal layer. Though smaller and lighter, the battery cells deliver twice the energy density.
Smaller, lighter battery cells also allow automakers greater design flexibility in engineering and styling. For example, an automaker could engineer a large SUV to have the same battery pack size as before, but it would have nearly twice the energy density, significantly increasing the power and driving range and having differentiation in appearance. Or, they could use a much smaller battery pack to deliver range without sacrificing an exhilarating performance in a sexy, low-slung sports car.
Quick charging
Long charging times remain one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption. It takes about 8 minutes to refuel an internal combustion vehicle at a gas station. Our lithium anode approach will enable charge times comparable to that. This will be game changing for automakers and consumers.
To be sure, Sion Power faces a fast-moving competitive landscape, with various battery companies and automakers working on their own approaches. This only furthers the argument, however, that battery technology is likely to improve significantly, leading to even faster EV adoption.
I’m confident we have the right solution, and now we’re working to commercialize it. LG Energy Solution and others see the promise, too, investing $75 million in us earlier this year. I’ve worked for Fortune 50 companies and am now at a startup because I am passionate about building something new. I’ve seen what scale looks like, and I know the path we need to travel to get to production and scale.
Consumers drive demand through their purchasing decisions, which are based on choice in everything from clothes to cars. Significant technological advancements will enable greater choices in EVs, and those choices will lead to higher EV adoption. I know this is true. I have been down this road before.
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