Second life for batteries from electric vehicles
A research project is investigating the use of used batteries from electric vehicles in stationary storage systems.
Battery storage from electric vehicles is being expanded when they still have up to 90% of capacity. A new research project is investigating the use of these electricity storage units as stationary storage systems. This conserves resources and puts the used but still powerful electricity storage units to a useful second use.
Range and capacity of rechargeable batteries in electromobility
Range is a decisive factor for the acceptance of electric cars. In 2015, a survey showed that the desired range of an electric car should be 420 km. Currently, only a few vehicles achieve this, and the batteries lose capacity and range from day one. For this reason, rechargeable batteries in electric cars are already being replaced and sent for recycling when they still have 80-90% of their capacity.
The idea behind the project is that storage units from electric vehicles with a capacity of 80-90% will continue to operate with good performance for a long time in stationary operation. This is because charging and discharging processes take place in a more controlled manner there. The research project is investigating how the high residual capacity of the storage cells can be optimally used in stationary systems. According to the current state of research, the storage units will continue to operate reliably for many years. Only after a second life in stationary use will they be recycled. This protects the environment and lowers the acquisition costs for electricity storage systems.
Quality and technology
Electricity storage systems with batteries from secondary use are equipped with a highly efficient energy management system and will receive a performance guarantee, which will have to be defined after completion of the research project.
To get a feel for acceptance of secondary use of storage from electromobility in stationary storage systems, the researchers have developed a short survey with 11 questions. Help the researchers with their work, say what you think about the use of used batteries from electromobility and, with a little luck, win a brand new I-pad mini from Apple. You can find the survey at: http://www.smart-power.net/umfrage-formular/
About the research project
The project is funded by the climate and energy fund and is being carried out as a joint project of AVL DiTest GmbH, Saubermacher Dienstleistungs AG, Smart Power GmbH and the University of Leoben as part of the "Lighthouses of Electromobility" program. Saubermacher Dienstleistungs AG is in charge of the project management, while Smart Power GmbH, based in Garching near Munich, is responsible for the Re-Use work package, i.e. the reuse of used battery cells.
