Does it run like a diesel? How much does it cost? How long does a charge last? These are some of the most common questions we hear today about battery electric vehicles, including electric construction equipment.
They focus on the present, for example, an electric excavator working on a site development job. And rightly so. The electric machines are new.
But batteries raise a whole host of questions, some of which are more about looking ahead. Is there enough charging infrastructure to keep me charged? What happens to batteries when they start to wear out over time? Are the production and consumption of batteries really sustainable?
These are the questions (and more) we asked ourselves here at Volvo many years ago, which is why Volvo Group recently formed a new business unit to actively address them as our journey unfolds. ‘electrification and sustainability.
It’s called Volvo Energy, and everything our group does revolves around vehicle batteries. It is our responsibility to take care of them at every step of their life cycle.
For example, we currently have a team involved in developing charging solutions and infrastructure here in North America and around the world to help expand charging sites.
We also have a team dedicated to monitoring and reporting on the State of Charge (SOC) and State of Health (SOH) of our batteries to determine how well they are performing and when and if they need to be replaced. be replaced, where they go next.
These two groups focus on the early life of a battery. During the first life of a battery, our intelligent battery management system protects the battery from excessive degradation. Our systems ensure optimal SOC, avoid temperature extremes and optimize charging cycles. We continuously collect data and analyze it to further improve battery performance throughout its lifetime. This work helps EV owners and operators achieve optimal performance, but we don’t stop there.
After using a battery for many years, it reaches a point where it no longer has the ability to meet your needs. When used frequently, this usually happens after about seven or eight years. The battery, however, still has about 80% of its full capacity left, which is more than enough for other uses. And that’s where our Second Life team will come in soon.
Used batteries remain valuable assets, just as a used excavator retains value even after extensive use. Using battery data analyses, this team will work to find the most viable second-life application for each unique battery, further extending its total life before being recycled. This process will be optimized through digitization. The Volvo Group is currently developing a “decision engine”, a system that combines battery data with AI to define when a battery needs to be replaced, monitor supply and demand for second-life batteries and decide the best option for each unique battery. unit The decision engine will even control the logistics flow to reduce the environmental impact of battery transport.
When batteries reach this second stage of life, our team will work to restore/remanufacture, reuse or recycle them. What is the difference?
- Reformation it is very similar to repair. By refurbishing, we will replace defective modules and/or other broken/worn sub-components within the battery pack to make it as new as possible. This will give you more years out of your 600 volt electric machines.
- Remanufacturing (or reman) is much more in depth. When remanufacturing a battery, we will break it down to the basic level and replace all modules and components to bring the SOH back to 100%. By remanufacturing, the batteries will become essentially new and can be sold to another customer as a remanufactured part. The good news is that we are also working on a warranty for refurbished batteries similar to what we do with new batteries.
- When refurbishment/remanufacturing are not options, reuse will be another solution to extend the total life cycle of our 600 volt batteries. The transition to primarily renewable energy sources such as solar and wind requires energy storage solutions, and these large second-life EV batteries fit the bill perfectly. Used batteries can be a basic element in a battery energy storage system (BESS). BESS is an assembly of many battery packs, essentially creating a high-capacity energy storage system. Battery energy storage systems can power buildings, be used for off-grid applications, or store energy from renewable sources. Volvo Energy has invested in battery energy storage specialists Connected Energy as part of ensuring the acceleration of our battery business.
- When a battery has been completely used (and none of the above options are viable), it will be discharged and disassembled before recovering the materials using a recycling Recycled material (cobalt, nickel, magnesium, copper, etc.) will be incorporated into the production of new cells to produce new batteries. This will reduce the amount of mined material needed, which is becoming increasingly difficult as countries around the world compete for a limited supply of these natural resources that are currently mined from continents such as Africa to build hydrogen ion batteries. lithium
In a linear business model, the minerals used in batteries would be mined at the beginning, produced and consumed in the middle, and finally disposed of at the end. This is not sustainable.
But in a circular business model (as shown above), we aim to connect the beginning with the end. For our North America region, this means identifying local sourcing partners, recyclers and more, which we call Enablers. These partners can source and/or recycle minerals used in batteries and help build new ones for consumption. From there, our teams will work with other facilitators (eg recycling facilities) as needed to refurbish/remanufacture, reuse or recycle these batteries to help keep them out of our landfills.
As part of the Volvo Group, we are committed to ensuring that all the batteries that power heavy equipment, trucks and more are used to their full potential for as long as possible. Batteries enable the transition to renewable energy sources. With sustainable end-of-life processes, second-life batteries can accelerate the shift to zero emissions.
Our ultimate goals are to create a circular business model for second-life batteries, reduce environmental impact and accelerate the shift to a zero-emissions future, and I believe Volvo Energy is off to a great start in making these aspirations a reality.
By Anna Axelsson, Volvo Energy
