Battery Second Use: Sustainable Life Cycle Design Through the Extension of Tools Used in the Vehicle Development Process

Abstract

Battery second use (B2U) has recently been the subject of attention from not only the automotive and electrical power grid industries, but also governmental institutions, researchers, and the general media. Most observers see Battery second use as an opportunity to maximize the value of the battery throughout an extended lifetime in order to offset the high costs of the battery system in an electric vehicle (EV) application. The viability (or combined economic and technical feasibility) of B2U depends on the battery design, use in the vehicle, reprocessing requirements, integration strategy, the secondary application, and the development of the battery market. Currently the uncertainty integrated along the entire value chain makes it difficult to assess the practicality of a secondary use strategy. We will shown that, with the current state of the market, only the vehicle OEM is capable of facilitating Battery second use strategy through the optimal design and development of the vehicle battery system. This paper will present of a method that extends the tools and information from the vehicle development to enhance the accuracy of current B2U evaluation methods. The method proposed could eventually be used for lifecycle optimization during the early development stages of an electric vehicle. Allowing the OEM to design the battery system and operational processes necessary to maximize the value of the battery system and mitigate the costs and associated with relatively new battery technologies.