The lifespan of electric vehicle batteries is often questioned, as is what happens to them once they’ve been retired from a vehicle. Does this new technology become disposable or serve another purpose in its afterlife?
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We’ve been asked:
What happens to old EV batteries?
Electric vehicle batteries have an average lifespan of 10 years. As a general rule, they’ll lose their capacity after prolonged use meaning their driving range will also decrease over time.
But what happens to them once they’ve been retired from a vehicle?
You might be happy to know that these aren’t throw-away items. Not only is this hazardous waste, but it would be a foolish exercise given their hefty price tag.
When a battery is at the end of its life, its health might not have the capacity to power a vehicle, but it still retains 60–70 per cent of its juice, therefore offering potential for storing and sharing energy.
Companies like Nissan are capitalising on such opportunities. Early pioneers in the EV space, Nissan has developed a process whereby batteries can be recycled to become storage banks for use in commercial or industrial energy solutions.
What’s more, the Japanese automaker is using these at its factory near Melbourne, where the batteries from nine first-generation Leafs are part of the facility that creates components used in every new Nissan Leaf around the world.
While in Japan, they decided to repurpose Leaf batteries for outdoor lighting. Collaborating with 4R Energy Corporation, Nissan designed an innovative kind of outdoor light that operates without connection to the main power grid.
Toyota has also cemented plans alongside industrial machinery manufacturing company, Redwood Materials, to collect old batteries and either restore them or repurpose the materials to produce new ones. German car companies, Volkswagen and Audi, have also joined the same program.
It’s also worth noting that battery packs are made up of individual cells, and in some circumstances any damaged cells can be repaired or replaced, either by the manufacturer or an independent organisation.
Essentially, to ensure that minimal volumes are being disposed in landfill, recycling initiatives have been established in a bid to further reduce the footprint of a battery’s production.
We have also answered this question in depth on this week’s episode of Drive TV, where we pilot the first-generation and the current Nissan Leaf. You can watch it in full on 9Now here.
Have a question about your next set of wheels or just need some car advice? No query is too big, small or obscure! Call in to the radio show (Trent on 2GB Sydney 1:30pm Monday and 9:00pm Wednesday, 5AA South Australia 1:30pm Tuesday, and James on 3AW Melbourne 9:00pm each Thursday), or contact us by email here: contactus@drive.com.au.
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