Evaluate the second-life management and applications

  • Likely project output: xx April 20xx
  • Theme 1: Pre-treatment and second-life management
  • Main Centre Node: University of Woolongong

Project summary

Batteries that no longer meet required performance standards for usage in EVs, which typically include maintaining 80% of total usable capacity with a low resting self-discharge rate (around 3% per month), can have a second life. Second-life use will provide the most value in niche markets where there is demand for batteries that can perform sufficiently to serve less-performance-demanding applications. But the use of these batteries in commercial applications has yet to gain real market traction – mainly because no successful approaches have been developed to help recycling centres to identify if any waste batteries are viable for refurbishment. Other key barriers preventing companies from entering the second-life battery industry would be concerns as to transportation and supply chains, quality, and price of second-life batteries.

Benefits to industry

We will retrofit end-of-life batteries with extensive technical testing and necessary upgrading to ensure they are able to perform reliably in their new roles and place emphasis on the evaluation of batteries in different scenarios, including second-life home battery modules coupled with solar installations, peak shaving, or in combination with renewable energy installation in buildings to increase energy self-consumption, as well as stationary energy storage.

Detailed investigation of these factors will be conducted to help the industry transition into this emerging area. We will also examine brand reputation of waste batteries, warranties, reliability, safety, government regulation, and public awareness/acceptance.

Project Lead & Investigators

Co-Leads

  • David Wexler (UoW)
  • Philip van Eyk (UoA)

Chief Investigators

  • Philip van Eyk (Lead, UoA)
  • Da-Wei Wang (UNSW)
  • Huijun Li (UoW)

Partner Investigator and Industry Placement

  • Keong Chan, Iondrive