Smartville’s Periscope: Revolutionizing EV Battery Health Assessment
Executive Summary
The evolution of the electric vehicle (EV) market presents a growing supply of second-life EV batteries and a corresponding demand for comprehensive solutions in battery health assessment. As sustainability and circular economy principles impact the automotive industry, quickly, easily, and accurately determining the state of health (SoH) of EV batteries becomes crucial for stakeholders across the lifecycle of an EV. Smartville’s Periscope™ emerges as a pioneering tool designed to meet this need, offering an unparalleled value proposition to recyclers, dismantlers, insurance providers, auction houses, fleet owners, OEMs, car dealers, and maintainers interested in extracting maximum residual value while enabling transparency in the marketplace. Periscope™, a cost-effective, easy-to-use handheld device, revolutionizes in-field battery assessment by swiftly collecting critical battery health data, regardless of make and model, or if the battery pack is in the vehicle or not
Battery End-of-Life Strategies
A Growing Second-Life EV Battery Market = An Opportunity for True EV Battery Circularity
Today, EV batteries at their perceived end-of-life are assessed quickly and superficially by means of visual inspection. Vehicle dismantlers determine whether individual battery packs are suitable for reuse or repurposing, or need to be recycled, based on a cursory evaluation of the integrity of the external casing. However, this method provides grossly inadequate information about a battery’s health and remaining utility or lifespan. Assessing more thoroughly with stationary precision battery assessment tools carries unacceptable costs in time, expense, and complexity. Transportation, facility costs, and personnel training add both administrative burdens and real costs in a field that operates under slim margins and basically skilled labor pools, and prizes simplicity and efficiency.
US annual EV sales crossed the 1 million mark in 2023, and global lithium battery manufacturing is projected to top 6TWH by 2030, largely empowered by electric vehicle demand (Figure 1). The resulting batteries by 2030 from retired EVs is estimated to rise to 50–200GWH annually. However, the industry for battery repurposing and reusing these batteries is in its early stage and lacks the scale and efficiency to handle this emerging waste stream. On the other hand, the battery market is booming, with global demand set to grow ten-fold in the next ten years. Here in the U.S., demand is greater than supply, with domestic industries dependent on overseas manufacturing and foreign control of battery raw materials. Yet there is an untapped supply of batteries in electric cars that hold the promise of providing years of additional service to our nation’s grid.
To achieve a circular economy with EV batteries, access to sufficient battery health must become ubiquitous for both sellers and buyers. At each touchpoint in the EV battery circularity ecosystem, easy-to-use tools in the hands of a basically trained workforce that provide baseline data not only unlock untapped battery value, but help optimize a currently inefficient chain of custody. Where previously, a visually inspected battery might have SOH ranging from 0 to 98 percent, a true gauge of SOH means the difference between purchasing at auction, transporting, and processing a battery only to find its residual value makes it only suitable for black mass recovery
| Strategy | Definition | Use Case Scenario |
|---|---|---|
|
Reuse/Repurpose |
Using remaining EV battery
capacity due to early vehicle
failure, crash, or lifespan
mismatch |
Direct reuse in other EV (SoH1 > 80%)
Repurposing in other applications like BESS
(SoH < 80% |
|
Remanufacture |
Sorting dysfunctional battery
cells/modules from packs and
recreating functional systems |
Battery replacement for EV
BESS (SoH < 80%) |
|
Recycle |
Recovery of battery components
or core minerals |
Secondary application active
anode/cathode materials
Use of pure minerals (Li, Ni, Co, and Mn) in
battery active material manufacturing |
Figure 1, EEI Forecast of EV Stock: 2C.4 Million EVs on U.S. Roads in 2030
Given easy access to key information, stakeholders in the dismantling and reuse/repurposing market can optimize decisions for extracting maximum value from EV batteries. Ǫuickly and accurately identifying suitable feedstock reduces inventory misdirected towards recycling and disposal. And by squeezing the most utility out of those batteries, our proposed infrastructure reduces demand for scarce raw materials, transportation costs and carbon footprint, reliance on competitor nation supply chains, and emerging waste streams.
| Challenges to lithium battery circularity | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sourcing & Battery Acceptance/Inspection |
Sourcing suitable batteries for defined uses* Battery Compatibility Price-setting* Logistics of a Li Ion batteries (HazMat Transport & Storage)* Low volume (currently) Lack of reliable SoH information* |
||
|
Classification & Second-Life
Testing
|
Forecasting expected service life* Access to OEM testing data Lack of a centralized database/portal* |
||
|
Sorting/Scoring packs & modules |
High variation* Absence of standards |
||
|
Safe Receipt/Testing/Storage of Systems |
No industry standards High-voltage qualifications Time-consuming manual processes Special storage requirements |
||
(*Opportunities for Smartville impact)
Market Needs
Mobility electrification is proceeding with breakneck speed absent an appreciation for the importance of effective end-of-life battery ecosystems. The ability to accurately assess the health of EV batteries impacts not only the resale value and usability of EVs but also the efficiency of reuse/repurposing/recycling processes and the safety of battery storage and transport. Current market solutions often fall short in providing quick, accurate, and accessible battery health assessments, creating a gap for Smartville’s Periscope™ to fill.
The Need for Precision and Efficiency
- Ǫuick Turnaround: Stakeholders require rapid assessments to make informed Time is money.
- Accuracy: “Good enough” data on a battery’s condition is essential for valuing the battery, and deciding if reuse, repurposing, or recycling are appropriate.
- Accessibility: Easy-to-use tools that do not require extensive training, technical knowledge, or special facilities.
- Portability/Deployability: On-site assessments reduce the time and logistical demands of initial battery
Smartville’s Solution: PeriscopeTM and Whole Battery Catalog
Advancing the Status Ǫuo. Smartville sets a new benchmark by tackling the dual challenges of battery disposal and sustainable reuse. Periscope™, a cost-effective, handheld device, revolutionizes in-field battery assessment by swiftly collecting critical battery health data, regardless of make and model, or if the battery pack is in the vehicle or not. This data fuels the Whole Battery Catalog™, a database that identifies batteries at the twilight of their lifecycle, assesses their health, and assigns them a relative “Smartville Score” from AAA to F in order to divert them from recycling or landfill destinies towards viable reuse and repurposing pathways. With the Whole Battery Catalog™, Smartville created a data platform and analytical backend that seamlessly connects battery owners, fleet managers, buyers, and other stakeholders in the circular economy to an expansive online database and marketplace. This database categorizes EV batteries and unveils insights into their potential for a second life, thus underpinning a more sustainable and secure battery ecosystem.
Periscope™ , which is self-powered, and cellular/WiFi-equipped, stands out by offering in-field, rapid assessments of EV batteries. Its unique value lies in its ability to provide comprehensive reports on battery performance, value, and safety across all top-selling EV makes and models and share those reports via a trusted data-driven marketplace.
Key Features
- Universal Compatibility: Works with a wide range of EV models, eliminating the need for multiple assessment tools.
- Rapid Results: Delivers detailed battery health reports within seconds, facilitating quick decision-making.
- Ease-of-use: Requires no additional certifications or training for a basically trained workforce, and allows testing in the field with automated data collection and uploads.
- Wireless Connectivity: Allows for seamless data uploads to the Whole Battery CatalogTM, Smartville’s comprehensive database and EV battery marketplace.
Customers & Applications
Periscope’s™ versatility makes it an essential tool for a broad spectrum of users:
- Recyclers and Dismantlers: Assess battery health to determine the best course of action reuse, repurpose, or recycle.
- Insurance Providers: Evaluate the condition of batteries for claims and policy
- Auction Houses and Dealers: Establish battery health to accurately value
- Fleet Owners (B2B) and Maintainers (B2C): Monitor battery health to optimize maintenance schedules, extend vehicle life, and identify the best end-of-life
- Second-Life Battery Repurposer: Purchases Ev batteries from various sources and benefits from battery health transparency.
Value Proposition
Smartville’s Periscope™ offers substantial benefits to its users, underpinning its potential for
widespread adoption:
- Cost Savings: Enables more informed decision-making, reducing unnecessary replacements and enhancing the value recovered from used
- Operational Efficiency: Simplifies the battery assessment process, saving time and resources.
- Safety and Reliability: Provides critical information on battery safety risks, contributing to safer handling and storage practices.
- Sustainability: Supports the circular economy by facilitating the reuse and repurposing of batteries, thereby reducing waste streams and the demand for raw materials and new batteries.
Anticipated Challenges and Solutions. Smartville anticipates challenges such as stakeholder adoption, data privacy, and integration with existing systems. To navigate these, Smartville will:
- Cultivate Partnership and Trust: Engaging stakeholders through transparent communication and demonstrating the tangible benefits of Smartville’s ecosystem will encourage Initial conversations with recyclers and other stakeholders result in an immediate appreciation for the value of Periscope™ and Whole Battery Catalog™.
- Improve Assessment Precision: Work with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to use data-driven machine-learning for the development of a battery analytical layer, with continuous updates from anonymized battery health
- Uphold Data Integrity: Implementing state-of-the-art, data security measures incorporating zero-trust architecture and multi-factor authentication will protect stakeholder information and foster a trusted platform for data
Ensure Compatibility and Scalability: By designing solutions that are compatible with existing technology and scalable to future needs, Smartville aims to facilitate seamless integration into the current EV landscape.
Conclusion
In an era where sustainability and efficiency are paramount, Smartville’s Periscope™ represents a significant leap forward in EV battery health assessment. By addressing the critical needs of the market with an innovative, user-friendly solution, Periscope™ is poised to become an indispensable tool for stakeholders across the EV ecosystem. As Smartville continues to develop and expand its suite of products, the Periscope™ is both a testament to the company’s commitment to pioneering sustainable, technologically advanced solutions in advance of growing EV adoption, and a business opportunity by providing a tool for extracting more economical value in the second-life EV battery market