Repairing car and e-bike batteries saves money and resources, but problems are holding back industry growth
Rich Benoit gets calls about three times a day from owners of an old Tesla Model S whose battery has started to fail at his auto shop, The Electrified Garage. Batteries that could provide hundreds of miles of range suddenly can only last 50 miles on a charge. These vehicles often do not come with a warranty, and battery replacement can cost upwards of $15,000.
For most products, repair is a more economical option than replacement. Benoit, who runs one of the few independent Tesla repair shops in the U.S., said many Tesla batteries are theoretically repairable. But due to the time and training involved, safety concerns and the complexity of the repair, Benoit says repairing a car battery in his shop can cost up to $10,000, more than most consumers are willing to pay. Instead, many people choose to sell or scrap their old cars and then buy a brand new Tesla, he said.
“[The car] is almost like a consumable item now, like a TV,” Benoit said.
Benoit’s experience points to a problem that early adopters of electric vehicles and electric micromobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters are beginning to face: These vehicles contain large, expensive batteries that become unaffordable over time. Remanufacturing these batteries can provide sustainability benefits by saving energy and resources that would otherwise be used to make new batteries. This is especially important for electric vehicles, which contain very large batteries that must be used for years to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated during their production. But many electric vehicles and electric vehicle batteries are designed to be difficult to repair, and some manufacturers actively discourage the practice, citing safety concerns. Design issues, safety requirements and parts shortages make it difficult for the few independent mechanics tasked with servicing electric vehicle or e-bike batteries to afford repairs.
“There are a lot of batteries in the trash that can be refurbished,” says Timothée Rouffignac, who runs a small e-bike battery repair company called Daurema in Brussels, Belgium. But “because they’re not meant to be repaired, it’s hard to find a good price.”
Lithium-ion batteries in smartphones contain a “cell” consisting of a graphite anode, a metal cathode and a liquid electrolyte that allows lithium ions to move from one side to the other, creating an electrical potential. Electric bicycle batteries typically contain dozens of cells. Meanwhile, electric vehicle batteries can contain hundreds to thousands of individual cells, which are often packaged into “modules” and then combined into battery packs. In addition to the cells and modules, electric vehicle and e-bike batteries often include a battery management system that monitors the health of the battery and controls charging and discharging rates.
All lithium-ion batteries degrade over time and will eventually require replacement. However, when a battery contains many individual cells and other components, its life can sometimes be extended through repair, a process that involves identifying and replacing damaged cells or modules, as well as repairing other faulty components, such as a faulty battery management system. In some cases, only one module needs to be replaced. Replacing this module, rather than replacing the entire battery, reduces the need for metals such as lithium, as well as the carbon emissions associated with producing a replacement battery (or a new car). This makes battery refurbishment “ideal for a circular economy (a system that saves and reuses resources),” said Gavin Harper, a researcher who studies battery sustainability at the University of Birmingham in the UK.
While it’s not necessarily cheap, you can save money by having your battery repaired. Typically, repairing an EV battery costs about half the cost of a new battery. Cox Automotive estimates that since it began offering EV battery repair services in 2014, it has saved more than 1 gigawatt-hour of batteries, enough to power about 17,000 new electric vehicles from premature disposal.
“There are many reasons why repair is more cost-effective than replacement,” Helps told Grist.
But experts say battery repairs are dangerous and should not be done at home or by first-timers. If the battery is damaged during repair, it may cause a short circuit, which may result in a fire or explosion. Failure to wear appropriate high voltage gloves when attempting repairs may result in electric shock. If you don’t know what you’re doing, “you’re playing with fire,” said John Matna, owner of e-bike repair shop Chattanooga Electric Bike Co. He noted that some electric bike batteries contain “enough current to kill a person.”
It helps to say that battery reconditioning requires at least high-voltage training, electrical experience, personal protective equipment, and “a basic understanding of the architecture and how batteries work.” Those looking to repair EV batteries also need equipment to lift the vehicle off the ground and physically remove the battery, which can weigh thousands of pounds.
“Very few people can or should even attempt something like this,” Benoit said.
But even those with proper training often have difficulty repairing electric vehicle or e-bike batteries due to their design. Many e-bike batteries come in durable plastic boxes that are difficult, if not impossible, to open without damaging the internal components. Inside an e-bike battery or individual EV battery modules, the cells are often glued or welded together, making them difficult or impossible to replace individually. Additionally, as a 2021 report from the European Environment Agency highlights, some EV batteries contain software that could cause the battery to shut down if there are signs of tampering.
Manufacturers claim that their batteries are designed to improve safety, durability and performance, but this may come at the expense of repairability, as many manufacturers that cover the warranty period (usually two years for major brands and e-bike brands) offer replacements for free or at a discount. batteries. Electric vehicles last 8 to 10 years or 100,000 miles). Repair advocates, on the other hand, argue that modular designs with reversible fasteners such as removable clips or adhesive tapes do not necessarily compromise safety and that the benefits of repair designs far outweigh the costs.
European politicians are beginning to listen to advocates. In August, the European Union adopted a new regulation aimed at making batteries more environmentally friendly. Among other things, it includes a provision requiring batteries used in e-bikes and other “light vehicles” such as e-scooters to be serviced by independent professionals, down to the individual cell level. The European e-bike industry has strongly opposed the rule due to concerns about safety, battery certification and legal liability, and is now grappling with how to comply.
“We are still looking at how we can meet the requirements of the new EU battery regulations while adhering to applicable safety regulations and our high quality standards,” e-bike battery maker Bosch told Grist. Bosch noted the challenges facing manufacturers. “The opposite trend is being seen in the United States,” where “stricter regulations and higher standards are being introduced for e-bike batteries and systems.”
In fact, the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced that it is reviewing regulations for e-bikes and their batteries. It comes after a recent spate of e-bike battery fires also prompted local policy action. The New York City Council recently changed its fire code to prohibit the “assembly or repair of lithium-ion batteries” from used batteries from other batteries, which repairers sometimes do.
The city also recently passed legislation requiring electric vehicle manufacturers to ensure their products’ batteries are certified to the UL 2271 design standard, which is intended to improve safety. Remanufactured batteries meet these requirements, said Ibrahim Jilani, global director of consumer technology for UL Solutions, a multinational company that tests safety certification standards for a wide range of industrial and consumer products and materials. One Standard. But Gilani said repair companies will have to “keep the design as it was before the repair,” including using batteries and electronic components of the same make and model. Battery repair shops also must undergo on-site UL inspections four times a year, which will cost them more than $5,000 a year, Jilani said. *
Compared to electric bikes, lawmakers have been relatively relaxed about repairing EV batteries. There are no specific laws or regulations in the United States that address this issue. The EU’s new battery rules also do not address repairs to electric vehicle batteries, but simply recommend that lawmakers update individual vehicle regulations “to ensure that these batteries can be removed, replaced and dismantled.”
The German insurance association GDV “strongly supports” the idea, a spokesman told Grist. In October, the group published the results of a study that found that electric vehicles cost a third more to repair than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles, a result partly explained by the high cost of repairing or replacing batteries.
“Many automakers will not allow battery repairs even if the battery box is slightly damaged,” a GDV spokesperson told Grist. Car manufacturers sometimes decide to replace the battery if the car has been in an accident in which the airbag deployed. Both practices “may result in increased repair costs” and ultimately higher insurance premiums, the spokesperson said.
New regulations on the repairability of electric vehicle batteries come at a critical time. Cox Automotive’s Helps said there are two simultaneous trends in EV battery design: “Batteries will either become very easy to maintain or they won’t be able to maintain them at all.”
Some batteries, such as the Volkswagen ID.4 batteries, have Lego-style modules that are easy to remove and replace. Other battery packs, such as the new Tesla 4680 battery pack, contain no modules at all. Instead, all the cells are glued together and attached to the battery pack itself. Helps describes this design as “irreparable.” If a damaged battery pack is found, the entire battery must be replaced.
“It’s still a completely recyclable battery,” Helps said. “You just can’t fix it.”
This article was originally published by Grist, a nonprofit media organization covering climate, justice and solutions.
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Post time: Dec-26-2023