[phtrivier]

> When it comes to new battery chemistries, it takes time to go from a lab breakthrough to mass production. Sodium ion is now being mass produced. A few years ago there was only low volume production. And before that, the technology was stuck in various stages of the R&D pipeline at various companies. From a lab prototype in a university to an actual proof of concept might take several years. And from there to production many years longer.

That's absolutely fine and understandable. But then, why do we keep hearing the word "breakthrough" ? I hate this word with all my heart.

Batteries are still not ubiquitous. EVs are still expensive.

The "breaktrough" that would be worth mentioning will be when people can buy an EV and never, ever, ever manage to build a scenario where there is _any_ range anxiety.

Or when everyone has a battery in their garage, that's as inconsequential to buy as a fridge, and can store enough energy for them to go through the winter with 2 months of sunshine.

I know we're far away from that. Fair enough. Godspeed to you if you're working on that, in the lab or in the factory. You or your grandkids will get there.

Just, write the _breakthrough_ article then, please.

[jillesvangurp]

A scientific breakthrough can happen and is news worthy. The consequence might be mass production of some thing enabled through decade of R&D that follows the breakthrough. But there are lots of reasons why that might never happen.

Anyway, catchy click bait news lines sell. And breakthroughs are worth reporting on by themselves. Anyway, the economist didn't do a great job here doing their job. They are all over the place mixing things that are basically on the market (sodium ion) or nearly on the market (solid state) with various scientific progress from research labs.

As for the rest of your comment, I don't think accurate information is your problem.

[stetrain]

There will be no single moment when that happens. It will be a stack of years and years of innovations and improvements each of which take time to roll out into mass production, start expensive, and get cheaper.

[phtrivier]

Of course.

Then, write your "breakthrough" article when they get to mass production. (Ok, you can write the article when they demo it as the consumer show six months before availability, if you really can't help. They won't ship it in six months, they will ship in a year, maybe that's fine.

I'm a software engineer, I'm not going to lecture anyone about optimistic release dates.)

Write another one when they find a way to make it affordable to the average consumer.

I m asking : don't write it when it's a proof of concept in the lab, or when you just started the workforce that's going to contemplate thinking about thinking of a plan to build a pilot plant for the alpha version of the prototype. I'm sick and tired of those.

Same thing if your "breakthrough" is in curing cancer or making fusion. Please stop using this word. It does not mean what you think it does.

[Ajedi32]

> Just, write the _breakthrough_ article then, please.

When exactly though? When the price of the "new" breakthrough technology that's been around for decades at that point drops from $101 per kwH to $100 per kwH?

I totally get your frustration but it seems kinda arbitrary to say a new technology isn't a breakthrough until it's ubiquitous.

[phtrivier]

When it gets from 1000 to a 100. Or from 100 to 10.

In production. On shelves. That the average consumer can buy.

Do you remember the time where hardly anyone had a mobile phone, and one year later everyone got one for christmas ? I was there. That's a breakthrough.

Then internet in your home. Two or three years from "none has it" to "of course I have it, here's my ICQ number".

Or the day the polio vaccine was announced.

Or when when a rocket booster landed on itself.

"Before / After" moment. They exist. They don't happen overnight - great. You may have "overcame one of the many hurdles on the path to reaching a credible plan that may lead to a before/after."

Write that ! It's not a "breakthrough", though.

Or, is "breakthrough" the word for "tiny incremental change", and there is another word that I should expect to read when something consequential happens ?