Safe and optimal handling of batteries from crashed vehicles

With a growing number of electric vehicle (EV) batteries being produced and released to the market, there is an increasing need for circular flows for batteries from electric vehicles. It is particularly important to ensure that batteries and their components are reused and recycled because batteries contain valuable and critical materials such as cobalt, lithium and nickel that are at risk of becoming scarce in the near future. The major challenge today in the industry concerns safety when handling batteries from end-of-life vehicles. A safe and efficient process and information flow is needed, as well as test equipment and diagnostic tools that can evaluate different types of batteries.

A sustainable and circular value chain for EV batteries reduces the environmental impact and reduces the extraction of natural resources in order to maintain an environmental balance and at the same time promote economic growth. In order to meet the need for increased circularity and reduced resource extraction, a restructuring of the industry and current value chains is required. Methods, tools and processes must be newly or further developed to ensure safe handling and efficient flows in line with increased electrification. Furthermore, challenges related to areas such as information flows and traceability need to be solved. On top of this, the ecosystem's actors need to jointly identify ways for efficient and economically sustainable cooperation in a transformed system.

Through studies and demonstrations, the project includes risk assessment and practical proposals for risk minimization methods and increased knowledge regarding methods, tools, guidelines and training needed to be able to secure, circular and efficient value chains for batteries from electric vehicles.