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.