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One question: who owns the reusable batteries, and who is responsible if something goes wrong? Autographers know they can be to blame if one of their old batteries is involved in a fire. GM recently He remembered all the Chevrolet Bolts Battery faults by Korean company LG Chem caused the fires. “It’s legally a rather gray area,” says NREL engineer Pesaran. “And with lawyers, they can argue anything.”
There are also technical issues. Before you reuse the EV battery, you need to know how much juice it holds and whether it’s worth it for a second life. “Assessing the health of whales is pretty essential to understanding whether they’re worth it,” says Andy Latham, Salvage Wire’s electric vehicle rescue consultant.
That’s not as easy as it sounds. Battery manufacturers and automakers are regularly changing the architecture of cell chemistry and batteries, and it is difficult to develop a standard process. In addition, batteries that are currently out of service are likely to be damaged by accidents or due to a manufacturing defect. Finding old batteries for testing can also be a challenge. Chris Mi, an engineering professor who studies lithium-ion batteries at San Diego State University, talks to rescue operators and automakers. The other groups start on Google.
ReJoule, a startup located in southern Los Angeles County, wants to make that process easier between shopping malls and rocking oil depots. Its prototype is a lightweight device the size of a desktop computer, whether a battery that can diagnose in less than five minutes and 30 seconds is suitable for a second life. Today, the process can take hours and requires machines that can be heavier than the battery packs being diagnosed. ReJoul plans a second machine, the size of a one-room refrigerator, to diagnose a battery pack before getting out of the car. Its technology is based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which uses a high-frequency scanned alternating current to measure the health of materials inside a battery cell. Eventually, the company would like to see its software embedded in the new batteries so that it can be controlled in the stressful life of the road. It would also be quite supportive of regulations, or at least industry standards to make the job easier.
For now, though, ReJoul’s engineers need to get inside the batteries. Battery packs are sealed with industrial glue and are not built for disassembly. Heavy service on road turbulence can cause screws and bolts to bend. So ReJoul’s engineers may need hours to open one. Once inside, a lot can go wrong. A graphic souvenir: a switch called a contactor that is firmly welded to a metal tool. It doesn’t seem to have been. The contactor fell on the tool while an engineer was setting up a test, and “you know, there were some fireworks,” says Steven Chung, CEO of ReJoul, who co-founded the company with his sister Zora. ReJoul keeps things around to remind everyone that safety rules must be followed.
Another question is whether old EV batteries are a reliable way to store power for the grid. That’s why old Nissan Leaf batteries have come out in that area in Lancaster. There is a fear that these batteries or some type of battery will work for a few years before they degrade quickly. Utilities don’t want batteries that need to be replaced often. Freeman Hall, president and co-founder of B2U, said his company wants to prove its long-term value to energy experts and investors. If the B2U shows that old lithium-ion batteries can be recharged and discharged several times while sitting in the hot sun and strong winds for years and still doing a good job, it “changes everything” in terms of the company’s ability to raise money, Hall says.
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