Repurposing electric vehicle batteries: State of art and challenges from repurposer perspective

Vehicle electrification era has already started to dominate automotive industry by replacing fossil powered vehicles with electric vehicle (EV). The battery packs deployed in EV applications are prone to non-uniform discharge rates, varying ambient working conditions, internal temperature gradients, and dynamic charging profiles. As a result, the battery degradation rate is expected to be non-uniform. State of Health (SoH) is widely regarded as indicator of battery health. When it reaches 80% of its initial capacity, the battery is said to be reached its End-of-Life (EoL) from EV application. Hence, after EV application, the battery packs can be repurposed for second-life applications based on their SoH and Remaining useful Life (RuL) at the cell or module level through certain assessment protocols defined by the repurposer. This research work delves in to repurposing process, challenges, insights from the existing works on repurposing process, and enlightens the need of standardization in battery performance assessment. After estimating the SoH and predicting the RuL, the future scope of repurposed battery packs and their applications was reviewed. The roles and responsibilities of repurposer are highlighted by critical process decisions while ensuring circular economy aligning with sustainable development.