Circular Economy applied to LI-ION batteries for smart electric mobility in cities

Project Information

CELION

Grant agreement ID: 791509

DOI

10.3030/791509

Project closed

EC signature date 24 November 2017

Start date 1 December 2017

End date 31 May 2018

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

ALBUFERA E-POWER SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CELION (Circular Economy applied to LI-ION batteries for smart electric mobility in cities)

Reporting period: 2017-12-01 to 2018-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The CELION project analyses the technical and economic feasibility for the commercialization of 2nd life battery packs within the electric mobility sector. Typically, an EV battery reaches its end-of-life (EOL), and replacement is recommended, when its remaining capacity is below 80% of a new one. When a battery fails to meet the criteria for automotive service upon its retirement, there is still sufficient energy and power capacity left to support less demanding applications such as small electric vehicles (LEV). Furthermore, battery reuse could postpone the recycling phase which entails costs and potential waste. Repurposing EOL batteries for a second use increases their total service life, which slows down the rate of resource exploitation and waste disposal.
Although the refurbishment and recycling of automotive lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is complicated and not yet established, a large-scale market penetration of EVs in the near future will be not possible without the existence of new diagnosis, recycling and reuse products/services capable to fulfil the demanding environmental requirements/standards. Albufera e-Power has designed a holistic and cost-effective diagnosis, reconditioning and reuse process in order to extend the lifecycle of the automotive batteries in a 2nd life.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The business model developed during the CELION project proposes the commercialization of 2nd life battery modules and after-sale services within the light electric vehicle (LEV) market in Spain and EU (e-bikes, cargo bikes and golf carts). These battery packs are manufactured using the exhausted batteries removed from the electric motorbike sector, especially, from moto-sharing companies. Apart from technical barriers, this sector is found to be much more accessible than large car manufacturers, regarding the supply of exhausted batteries. Moreover, the Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) and moto-sharing markets are expected to grow in a major extent than electric cars in a short-term.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The products and services provided by Albufera e-Power allow new economic and environmental benefits for the end users, significantly reducing the Total Cost of Ownership of Li-ion batteries and promoting the clean mobility in cities. Meanwhile, other stakeholders in the supply chain may also benefit from this circular strategy since important business opportunities are detected regarding after-sale services and data storage. The control of the battery property is found to be crucial to improve the quality of 2nd life battery modules, extend their lifetime and increase the recycling rates.

2nd Life battery module for electric bikes and cargo vehicles