Mass transport conversion to an electrified powertrain requires suitable strategies for processing electric vehicle (EV) batteries after their intended first service life. Due to aging mechanisms, EV batteries lose capacity over their period of use and become unsuitable for their initial application at some point. However, to expand their lifetime and to meet the sustainability demand for EVs, the usage of these batteries in so-called Re-X applications is under intense discussion. Until now, downstream processing has been subject to high uncertainty regarding the expected advances. While many issues on the technical and ecological side have been at least partially resolved, the economics are still under assessment. For this reason, this paper intends to give a well-based outlook on the costs and benefits of three chosen scenarios: reuse, repurpose, and recycle. It is expected that under the given national policies and global market conditions, growing quantities of retired EV batteries will return from the transportation markets. Consequently, the market potential for retired batteries in downstream applications will significantly increase, as well as calls for stable solutions.

The temperature of a lithium-ion battery is a crucial parameter for understanding the internal processes during various operating and failure scenarios, including thermal runaway. However, the internal temperature is comparatively higher than the surface temperature. This particularly affects cells with a large cross-section, which is due to heat development within the cell and lower heat dissipation due to a poorer ratio of volume to surface area. This paper presents an approach that enables real-time monitoring of the behavior of a commercial prismatic high-energy battery cell (NMC811/C, 95 Ah, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (Ningde, China)) in the event of thermal runaway induced by overcharging. The internal cell temperature is investigated by the subsequent integration of two hard sensors between the two jelly rolls and additional sensors on the surface of the aluminum housing of the battery cell. The sensor’s signals show a significant increase in the temperature gradient between the temperature in the core of the cell and the cell casing surface until the onset of venting and thermal runaway of the battery. The data enable a detailed investigation of the behavior of the battery cell and the comparatively earlier detection of the point of no return in the event of thermal runaway.

As lithium-ion batteries increasingly become a cornerstone of the automotive sector, the importance of efficient and cost-effective battery production has become paramount. Even though electric vehicle battery cells are produced in three different geometries—cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch—no specific model exists to compare the manufacturing costs of producing cells with different geometries but similar performances. In this paper, we present a process-based cost model with a cell design functionality which enables design and manufacturing cost prediction of user-defined battery cells.

The growing demand and market penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) have led to an expansion in the size of the market for used EVs, accompanied by a continuous increase in the return rate of aging battery systems. Consequently, a second-hand market for aged battery systems, known as second-life batteries, is slowly emerging. Understanding this market is crucial for enabling a functioning circular economy for batteries. This paper analyzes the market mechanisms influencing price formation for used goods, drawing parallels to the largest second-hand market, the used car market, and applies them to the second-life battery market. By examining these mechanisms, insights are provided into the dynamics of the second-life battery market, facilitating the development of strategies to optimize resource utilization and sustainability in the EV industry. Finally, the second-life battery price index is introduced, increasing the transparency of prices for lithium-ion batteries and the circular economy.

Battery disassembly forms a central jumping-off point for recycling in the context of a sustainable closure of the battery loop. The main objective for economic realization in line with European recycling regulations is therefore a transformation of the battery disassembly from a manual to an automated process. Product-related influences such as design variations and process-side constraints including the selection of disassembly technologies require large amounts of data for implementation in an automated system. This article examines accessible data sources in the literature and the upcoming battery passport to build a basis for a multi-layered methodical analysis of the data required for the automation of battery disassembly. For this purpose, the disassembly sequence and depth of an Audi e-tron battery pack are first identified using a priority matrix and converted into a product and process structure. Definitions for product- and process-related elements are established, and a generalized process model is developed, which is finally converted into a data structure model approach. The result shows that much of the required data to automate the disassembly of used batteries are currently not yet available. Further efforts must be made to establish data structures and standards regarding product- and process-related disassembly data.