Electric Battery Reuse and Alternative Uses

In Europe, the second-life applications of batteries are gaining traction, with various companies playing crucial roles in the process. Companies active in this field can be categorized into six main areas:

Collection and transport: Logistics specialists and some battery producers participate in this stage, ensuring lithium-ion batteries are collected and transported to facilities for further processing.
Identification and status determination: Circunomics offers advanced AI-driven battery testing and state-of-health assessment, helping to identify and determine the status of the collected batteries before further processing.
End-of-life strategy selection: Platforms like the Electrification Academy provide best practices and regulatory guidance to help choose the optimal end-of-life strategy for the identified batteries, such as recycling or reuse.
Technical processing: Flash Battery develops advanced battery management systems and modular solutions for the technical processing of the batteries, breaking them down into components for further separation and recovery of valuable materials.
Integration and installation: Large industrial groups like Volkswagen Group with their Elli brand and TRATON Group provide charging infrastructure management and fleet charging solutions, playing a key role in integrating and installing the recovered materials into new products, such as batteries for electric vehicles or stationary energy storage systems.

By 2030, an estimated 1.7 million tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste will be available for recycling, marking a 259% increase from 2021. The European Union aims to recover 95% of cobalt, copper, and nickel and 70% of lithium from lithium-ion batteries through recycling processes.

The second-life market is a key component of the full battery life cycle, with discussions focusing on using electric vehicle batteries in stationary energy storage systems. Potential uses for reusing electric vehicle batteries include converting internal combustion engine vehicles, installing home energy storage systems, and electrifying boats. Large-scale stationary energy storage systems built using batteries from electric vehicle warranty replacements have proven to be reliable.

However, reusing electric vehicle batteries presents challenges due to variations in type and capacity between available items. Identification and status determination of the collected batteries are necessary before further processing. By 2027, battery products will need to be labeled with the percentage of recycled material used in their construction.

A list of 73 European businesses involved in or supporting battery second-life applications is provided in an up-to-date presentation. These companies are paving the way for a more sustainable future by contributing to the circular economy of batteries.