Tesla Powerwall Has A Direct Competitor: Amptricity Presented Residential Battery With Solid Electrolyte

Among the key features in favor of this alternative – and apparently very good - battery are factors such as a higher energy density, 377 Wh/Kg, which makes it possible to offer more compact and lighter products. Also, as it does not use a liquid electrolyte, the risk of fire is basically reduced to a minimum; and another feature is that it has an operating temperature range between -40 degrees and 55 degrees. Something actually very important if we intend to install it inside the house in a battery that – by the way - is also 100% recyclable.

This home battery also has other benefits, such as being able to perform deep cycles without damaging its lifespan. This last section is undoubtedly one of the most notable in this model, which according to the manufacturer can extend its life up to 11,000 deep charge and discharge cycles, which in turn allows the company to grant it an almost perpetual guarantee, but which the manufacturer has placed at a very reasonable 25 years.

On the other hand, we have the Tesla Powerwalll, which is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery stationary home energy storage product manufactured by Tesla Energy. The Powerwall stores electricity for solar self-consumption, time of use load shifting, and backup power. It was introduced way back in 2015 with limited production, and mass production started in early 2017 at Tesla's Giga Nevada factory.

Since Tesla introduced the Powerwall, many other companies have started offering home battery backup products, especially companies that compete with Tesla Energy to sell photovoltaic solar energy generation systems. Three companies dominate the battery energy storage market: Enphase Energy, LG Chem, and Tesla. Together, these three brands accounted for about 85 percent of the sales in 2021.

The Enphase battery is sold alongside the company's solar micro-inverters (which convert DC power generated by solar panels into AC power using small modules behind each panel) as part of a complete AC-based home energy system. The system is currently the most expensive home battery product, at roughly 50% more than Tesla's Powerwall. Despite the large price difference, in 2021, Enphase surpassed Tesla as the largest supplier of home energy storage systems. Tesla Energy also offers larger battery energy storage devices: the Powerpack, intended for use by businesses, and the Megapack, intended for electrical grid use.

Turning back to Amptricity, it is available in a variety of capacities that will go from the basic kit with 12 kWh, the intermediate capacity models with 24 and 36 kWh, all the way to the most capable models that will increase their capacity up to 48 and 60 kWh. In the case of the most accessible kit, it is a model with a 820 mm x 480 mm x 530 mm size, with a 265 lbs. weight. The nominal power is curiously the same in all models, 3 kW, while the peak power reaches a modest 5 kW; certainly not its best feature.

Each battery can in turn - from the 24 kWh version on - be placed in parallel with other packs of the same capacity, reaching a maximum of 5 units; which basically means that the most demanding customers will be able to accumulate up to 300 kWh by combining packs. In this case though, customers might be better off opting for stronger, industrial-scale products which offer up to 1 MWh per battery, with a Supercharger-worthy power output rating of 250 kW.

U.S.-based battery manufacturer announces solid-state energy storage systems #Ampricity #solidstatebattery #energystorage #USmanufacturing https://t.co/MOKCWkdOj0— Anne Fischer (@AnneLFischer) November 15, 2022

As for prices, good things are expensive as it usually happens, and in this case there is no exception: the price of the cheapest version, a 12 kWh model, starts at $19,990. Going up to the 24 kWh model the budget rises to $37,990; finally reaching $73,999 for the 64 kWh version. Is it expensive or affordable, in the end, as compared to Tesla Powerwall? Each individual customer will have to decide, as it depends on the way you look at it: amptricity is a battery that will last two or three decades of hard, permanent work.

Source: Amptricity

All images courtesy of Tesla Inc.

Nico Caballero is the VP of Finance of Cogency Power, specializing in solar energy. He also holds a Diploma in Electric Cars from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and enjoys doing research about Tesla and EV batteries. He can be reached at @NicoTorqueNews on Twitter. Nico covers Tesla and electric vehicle latest happenings at Torque News.