A Review of the Second Life Electric Vehicle Battery Landscape from a Business and Technology Perspective

In recent years increasing climate awareness has spurred global demand for sustainable, renewable energy and clean, green technology. This shift is placing increased expectations on producers not only to meet the immediate market needs, but to consider the long-term implications of their products. While the EV market is going from strength-to-strength further consideration must also be given to its byproducts - EV batteries. The efficiency of EV batteries means they typically retain 80% of their capacity at the end of their 1st life thus creating a viable opportunity to add value in a second life format, thus embodying the essence of the circular economy. In this research, we collaborated with industry professionals to envision what the future holds for second life EV batteries from a business and technology perspective. We focused on the market viability and pain points of second life batteries and we also analyzed the use cases of the different incumbent and new players from the business perspective. From the technology perspective, we focused on battery chemistries, certification bodies, standards, regulations, testing and grading, battery analytics, and wireless battery management systems.