🌱 What research is being done?
When the batteries in EVs become defective, they are rarely repaired. A large part of the issue stems from the fact that in the design process of EVs, repairs and accessibility to the batteries are not factored in. Yet, most of the time when a battery becomes defective, it is only a part or a module of the battery that needs repairing. In line with this, a group of scientists at the RWTH Aachen have now been looking into ways to repair EV batteries in a quick and inexpensive manner. Through this, they hope to make EVs more sustainable. As consumers often worry about problems with EV batteries, improving battery repairability may also improve the general acceptance of – and willingness to buy – EVs amongst consumers.
🌱 What are the advantages of repairs?
EV batteries are energy-intensive and expensive to produce. An increase in battery repairs is therefore of interest to diverse stakeholders – including manufacturers (particularly in the warranty period) and car owners (especially after the warranty period has elapsed). Repairing EV batteries can reduce the environmental impacts from harmful substances found in the batteries, lower greenhouse gas emissions from the production and transport of the battery components, help optimize the use of valuable resources, and create new revenue streams. Moreover, battery repairs play a key role in the transition over to a circular economy.
🌱 Why would repairing be cheaper?
Up to 50% of the costs for EVs originate from their batteries alone. According to the RWTH Aachen, being able to repair the specific battery part or module that is broken can “save the car owners enormous costs”. According to the researchers, “repair is almost always the more economical and ecological choice compared to battery replacement” in the first 80% of the batteryʼs service life. Notably, “[r]epairing individual battery modules can reduce costs by up to 77% and emissions by up to 91% compared to replacing an entire battery pack”.
🌱 Why is fast disassembly important?
How repairable batteries are depends on their design and the materials that have been used to produce them. To make the repair of EV batteries more efficient and easier, the researchers at the RWTH Aachen have set up several new facilities, where they look into both products and processes that make “quick disassembly and reassembly” possible. The challenge in the research is to find alternatives that do not compromise the battery system’s integrity. The researchers must therefore “carefully evaluate all trade-offs – such as the potential repairability limitations”.
💡 Curious to learn more about the material and energy use, as well as the environmental and social impacts of an EV battery? Then, check out Palsa & Pulk’s new interactive visual.
Read more about modular EV batteries here:
- https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/rheinland/reparatur-elektroautos-batterien-100.html