There’s a pile of energy left in a spent batteries after the storage capacity declines. It’s a crying shame if we recycle them just because they are no longer able to power the original device. And even more so if we thoughtlessly send them to the tip. We dedicate this post to electric vehicle batteries and second uses for them. That’s because their materials are too valuable to turn into scrap.
Electric Vehicle Batteries and Second Opportunities
CBC Radio posted an inspiring story on November 9, 2019. This concerns one David Elderton who partly powers his home from a wrecked Tesla Model S power pack he charges with solar panels on his shed.
Mind you the battery is pretty big, around the size of two coolers side-by-side he says. However it keeps the lights on for five days, or almost a day with all house systems running. David Elderton knows how to do this because he and other local electricians are specialists in electric vehicle batteries and second life purposes. We hope to see more totaled / end-of-life EV vehicle batteries living on this way.
EV Battery Waste Management is Becoming More Critical
Electrified vehicles are an essential part of the climate change solution. However, we need to recycle their materials and current lithium-ion technology is tricky. Hence we need a stopgap solution for now, and re-purposing EV batteries is the best one on the table.
CBC Radio predicts there will be 130 million electric vehicles on world roads by 2030. That’s a pile of spent batteries to find new uses for. Especially since making them consumes energy that may not be green if purchased from a utility. In fact, researchers suggest this adds up to one year of emissions from a fossil fuel-powered car. Therefore, electric vehicle batteries and second lives are a critical piece of the puzzle.
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Preview Image: Nissan Leaf Battery Cutaway
