EV

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop end-of-life standards for recycling lithium-ion electric vehicle packs based on the cell’s design has been signed by two US organisations.

The partnership aims to identify standards manufacturers and recyclers can use to assess the amount of extractable and recyclable material in various battery systems.

The MoU was signed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

NEMA has represented electrical equipment manufacturers across the US since 1926.

Argonne scientists and NEMA experts will explore how variations in battery design, materials and chemistries, as well as recycling methods, can all affect recyclability.

Jonathan Stewart, industry director of NEMA’s Utility Products and Systems, said: “If we don’t innovate to address end-of-life challenges and consider environmental impacts as more and more batteries are being produced, then we’re going to have a big problem ten years from now.”

The development of a standard will include Argonne working to involve many of the organisations it already works with. These include: ReCell, a battery recycling R&D center led by Argonne and funded by Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Vehicle Technologies Office.

Jeff Spangenberger, the Materials Recycling R&D group lead at Argonne and director of the ReCell Center, said: “Standards can give recyclers a baseline for how much material, and in turn how much revenue, they can expect to recover from a battery. 

“They can also help manufacturers understand what materials and designs are likely to be more recyclable, which can inform their research and development. 

“Our decades of expertise in battery research and the specialized tools we have to solve problems in this space are what make us a good partner in this endeavour.

​“We’re excited to integrate our knowledge with NEMA’s industry expertise to create a more robust battery recycling market here in the US.”

General Motors has issued a second recall on Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles due to fire risks with its lithium-ion batteries.

A number of the vehicles were built between 2017-2019 using high voltage cells produced at LG Chem’s Ochang, Korea, facility that may pose a risk of fire when charged to full, or close to full, capacity.

GM is notifying owners that it has developed a remedy to complete the previously announced global safety recall last November of 68,667 Bolt vehicles after a series of fires.

As part of the fix Bolt dealers will use GM-developed diagnostic tools to identify potential battery anomalies and replace battery module assemblies as necessary.  

The fix also includes the installation of diagnostic software into the vehicles that can detect issues related to changes in battery module performance before problems develop.

When the vehicle is updated with the new software, the 90% state of charge limitation— imposed by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—will be removed so the battery is returned to its previous maximum charging capacity.

Customers of 2019 model year Chevrolet Bolt EVs were able to have this fix performed from 29 April, and customers who own 2017 and 2018 model year Bolt EVs were eligible to have the fix performed from 26 May.

GM said it would also make advanced diagnostic software available to all other Bolt EV owners in the coming months.  

Additionally, they will be making this diagnostic software standard in the 2022 Bolt EV and EUV, as well as future GM electric vehicles.

South Korea's vehicle OEM Hyundai Motor Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PV manufacturer Hanwha Q Cells to recycle old EV batteries into second-life energy storage applications.

The partnership will develop energy storage systems (ESS) using old EV batteries for the European and North American markets.

The mastermind behind electric vehicle and energy storage OEM Tesla’s battery technology, Jeffrey Straubel, has quit as the US company’s chief technology officer as of 24 July.

The announcement was made during a conference call with analysts that Straubel (pictured) would step down from his executive role after 16 years.