Stellantis believes that the weight of batteries used in electric vehicles needs to be significantly reduced in order to make them more environmentally friendly and to solve the problem of lithium shortage.
Speaking recently at the Freedom of Mobility Forum Stellantis, the automotive group's chief executive Carlos Tavares noted that current EVs with a range of around 400km require around 500kg of additional raw materials compared to conventional diesel cars. However, Tavares expressed hope that technological breakthroughs will reduce the weight of electric vehicle batteries in the near future.
“From an environmental point of view, I don't think it makes sense to have such heavy batteries”– said Tavares.
According to him, within the next decade, we will be able to reduce the weight of the battery by 50%, and therefore reduce the use of additional raw materials by 50% compared to a conventional car.
Although Tavares didn't say exactly how Stellantis plans to reduce the weight of its battery packs, the concern is making big strides toward electrification. Stellantis hopes that 100% of its sales in Europe will be electric vehicles by the end of the decade.
The concern also aims to sell 5 million electric cars annually by 2030 and will introduce more than 75 new electric cars by the end of the decade. The basis of the brand's electric cars will be four car platforms named STLA Small, Medium, Large and Frame. Stellantis is also working on three separate electric drive modules, two battery cell chemistries, chassis configurations, and more.