Watts next for old EV batteries

Getting more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road is crucial for Australia’s transition to a low-carbon economy and achieving net-zero emissions. What we do with the thousands of EV batteries set for replacement over the next decade is one of our newest waste challenges.

Electric vehicle batteries typically last around 8 to 10 years, though many can last much longer. On average, once 20–30% of the battery’s capacity is lost, drivers will experience a noticeable decrease in the car’s performance. That means that 70–80% of the battery’s energy capacity is still available for other purposes and years of additional use.

Infinitev has been operating in the automotive circular economy for 40 years, specialising in the remanufacturing and repairing of complex electronic components.

Dickson Leow, Infinitev’s General Manager, acknowledges the rapid adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles, but stresses the importance of creating a circular solution for batteries.

'Powered by cutting-edge battery technology, these climate-conscious vehicles are driving us to a greener future,” says Dickson. “But what happens when one of these advanced batteries stops functioning properly or is no longer fit for the road?'

On behalf of the Victorian Government, Sustainability Victoria is driving Victoria towards a circular future where waste is eliminated. We design and deliver grant programs to kickstart business models that reduce or design out waste and provided a $500,000 grant to Infinitev to create a state-of-the-art, future-focused facility in Cranbourne to house its burgeoning EV battery circular economy operations.

'Essentially, Infinitev is trying to envision a world without waste, where the EV battery is being borrowed for multiple applications along its life.'

To achieve this, Infinitev created a 3-tiered circular business model for EV batteries.

Circular business model for EV batteries

1. Re-use

The first circular opportunity is to refurbish the batteries for re-use, providing EV owners a more affordable and sustainable option for replacing their old battery. Infinitev already refurbishes hybrid batteries and will commence refurbishing EV batteries when the new facility opens in Cranbourne in 2024.

Research by the University of Melbourne found that the process of refurbishing old hybrid batteries slashed CO2-equivalent emissions per kilometre by 93% compared to buying new batteries made from virgin materials.

Watch a video to find out how Infinitev refurbishes hybrid batteries.

2. Re-purpose

When the battery can no longer be used in the car, Infinitev will repurpose them by transforming them into a battery energy storage system.

Developed in partnership with Sustainability Victoria, Infinitev’s battery energy storage system keeps the used battery out of landfill by giving it a new use.

Sustainability Victoria’s Interim CEO, Matt Genever says, “The Infinitev initiative is the first of its kind to adopt a circular economy business model to create Australia’s first scalable reuse and recycling program for retired lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles.”

Infinitev’s battery energy storage system will have many potential functions such as storing excess electricity from commercial solar panels, as a power back-up system for industry, or even reducing peak power when EV chargers are operational, creating a true circle of re-use. This re-purposing extends the battery’s potential lifespan by an estimated 5 to 10 years.

3. Recycle

Where neither re-use nor re-purposing are possible, the battery’s valuable materials are recovered to be used again. As well as lithium, EV batteries contain nickel, cobalt, graphite and aluminium. Lithium especially is an essential element in the world’s transition to a low-carbon economy, and with limited supplies in strong demand worldwide, extracting and retaining this precious mineral from spent EV batteries will become even more important.

Doing business differently

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