Kia Australia is looking to do its part to prolong the life of the batteries used in its EVs by partnering with a local firm to reuse, repurpose, and recycle them.
The carmaker has forged a partnership with Infinitev which has developed a host of battery lifecycle management solutions. When a battery from one of Kia’s EVs starts to experience diminished functionality, Infinitev begins a SafetyCheck on it, performing physical and electrochemical safety assessments.
After this check, engineers from Infinitev use their proprietary HealthCheck diagnostic tools to perform individual evaluations of a battery pack’s individual modules. These modules will either be considered ‘A grade’ and can be reused to build new batteries, ‘B grade’ and can be repurposed for battery energy storage systems, or ‘C grade’ meaning they will be recycled by Infinitev’s partners, recovering many of the valuable materials.
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“We are proud to have a holistic solution that addresses the environmental concerns associated with electric vehicle batteries,” Infinitev general manager Dickson Leow said. “Our innovative reuse approach ensures that the transition to a circular economy is not only sustainable but also reduces waste and preserves valuable resources. Through responsible battery management, we can accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and build a greener Australia.”
The two companies have not yet confirmed when they will first start assessing the battery packs of EVs sold locally, but given that the first Kia EV only hit the market in 2021, it could be many years before batteries start to get reused, repurposed, or recycled.
“We are currently in the very early stages of developing a solution tailored to Kia customers that will allow their electric vehicle batteries to be refurbished instead of discarded,” Kia Australia chief executive officer Damien Meredith added. “What happens to an electric vehicle battery at the end of its life is an important consideration when it comes to EV buyers, so this is a very significant program.”
