One question: Who owns the recycled batteries, and who is responsible if something goes wrong? Automakers know that they can be held liable if one of their batteries burns. GM soon remembered every Chevrolet Bolt because the wrong batteries made by the Korean company LG Chem caused a fire. “And they’re lawyers – they can argue anything,” said Pesaran, an NREL engineer.
There are also technical issues, too. Before re-using an EV battery, you need to know how much water it retains and whether it is suitable for a second life. “Monitoring the health of batteries is very important to determine if they have any value,” says Andy Latham, an electric vehicle rescue consultant at Salvage Wire.
It’s not as simple as it sounds. Battery makers and automakers often change the way cells are designed and the structure of their batteries, making it difficult to design a stable system. In addition, the batteries that come out today are either damaged or damaged. Even getting old batteries to try can be difficult. Chris Mi, a professor of engineering who specializes in lithium-ion batteries at San Diego State University, talks to stadium rescuers and automakers. Some groups start with Google.
ReJoule, a founder who lives in downtown Los Angeles County between the grocery store and the oil derricks, wants to improve this. An example is a lightweight, compact computer that can detect in less than five minutes, as well as 30 seconds, if the battery is suitable for a second life. Nowadays, the task can take hours and require a machine that can weigh more than the battery packs they recognize. ReJoule is preparing a second machine, the size of a dorm room refrigerator, to detect the battery before it is released from the car. Its expertise is based on the form of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which uses a series of frequently adjusted modes to measure the health of the contents of a battery cell. Ultimately, the company wants to see its apps integrated into new batteries so they can be monitored through their stress-free life on the road. They may also need legal assistance, or company standards to make the job easier.
In the meantime, ReJoule engineers had to get inside the batteries. Batteries are packaged with industrial adhesives and are not designed to disintegrate. Long-term hard work on abyssal roads can distort the bindings and bolts. As a result, it may take ReJoule engineers hours to launch one. When you log in, a lot of things can be messed up. One drawing reminder: a contactor switch that burns vigorously to a metal tool. It doesn’t have to be. The agent crashed into the device while the engineer was testing the test, and “there were, you know, firefighters,” said Steven Chung, CEO of ReJoule, who founded the company with his sister Zora. ReJoule keeps the item in order to remind everyone to follow safety rules.
Another question that comes up is whether the old EV batteries are a reliable way to store energy on the grid. This is why old Nissan Leaf batteries are in the field in Lancaster. One concern is that those batteries — or other types of batteries — will remain in operation for a number of years before they are quickly destroyed. Utilities may not require batteries that need to be replaced frequently. B2U president and co-founder Freeman Hall says his company wants to prove the long-term need for power professionals and investors. If B2U can show that old lithium-ion batteries can charge and discharge most of the time after sitting in hot sun and strong winds for years and still work well, it “changes everything” according to the company’s revenue stream, Hall said.