Repairing car and electric bike batteries faces challenges that hinder this industry and save money and resources.
Challenges of Electric Car Battery Repair
Electric cars and small electric transport devices such as electric bikes and motorcycles face challenges regarding the repair of their batteries. These vehicles contain large and costly batteries that will deteriorate or stop working over time. Repairing these batteries can have environmental benefits, as energy and resources are saved that would be used to manufacture a new battery. This is especially important for electric cars that have very large batteries that must be used for years to offset the carbon emissions associated with their manufacture. However, many electric car and electric transport batteries are designed to be difficult to repair, and some manufacturers actively hinder this practice, citing safety concerns. A few independent mechanics who repair electric car or bike batteries face challenges in doing so affordably due to design challenges, safety requirements, and a lack of spare parts.
Benefits of Electric Car Battery Repair
When the battery contains many individual cells and other components, the battery’s life can be extended through a repair process, which involves identifying and replacing faulty cells or modules and repairing other defective parts such as the battery management system. In some cases, replacing only one unit is sufficient instead of replacing the entire battery, which reduces the demand for metals used in the battery like lithium, as well as the carbon emissions associated with manufacturing replacement batteries (or new cars). This makes battery repair “highly desirable in a circular economy” – a system that conserves and reuses resources – according to Gavin Harper, a research fellow studying battery sustainability at the University of Birmingham in the UK.
Challenges of Electric Car Battery Repair
However, battery repair is dangerous and should not be attempted at home or by amateurs, experts say. If battery cells are damaged during a repair attempt, it can cause a short circuit leading to fire or explosion. If the person attempting the repair is not wearing suitable high-voltage insulating gloves, they may be at risk of electric shock. “You will be playing with fire” if you don’t know what you are doing, according to John Mathna, owner of an electric bike repair shop in Chattanooga Electric Bike Co. Battery repair should require at least high-voltage training, electrical experience, personal protective equipment, and “a basic understanding of the architecture and how the battery operates,” according to Tyler Hilbs of Cox Automotive, who repairs electric car batteries under warranty on behalf of car manufacturers and dealers across the United States. Additionally, those looking to repair electric car batteries need equipment to lift the vehicle off the ground and physically remove the battery, which can weigh thousands of pounds.
Legislative and Design Challenges
However, even those with the proper training often face difficulties in repairing electric car or bike batteries due to how they are designed. Many electric bike batteries are housed in sturdy plastic boxes that are difficult or even impossible to open without damaging the internal components. Inside the electric bike battery or individual units of the electric car battery, cells are often glued or welded together, making it difficult or impossible to replace them individually. Moreover, as noted in a 2021 report from the European Environmental Bureau, some electric transport batteries contain software that causes the battery to shut down if it detects signs of unauthorized tampering.
Legislation
Design in Europe and the United States
European legislators have begun to listen to supporters. In August, the European Union adopted new legislation aimed at enhancing battery sustainability. Among other things, this legislation includes a provision requiring that batteries used in electric bicycles and other “light transportation” vehicles, such as electric motorcycles, be repairable at the individual cell level by independent professionals. The European electric bicycle industry, which strongly opposed this provision due to safety concerns, battery certification, and liability issues, is struggling to comply with this provision.
In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced that it is considering legislation for electric bicycles and their batteries. This follows a recent wave of electric bicycle battery fires that also prompted legislative responses at the local level. The New York City Council recently enacted a law requiring electric vehicle manufacturers to ensure that their product batteries are certified according to the UL 2271 design standard, which aims to enhance safety. Ibrahim Jilani, the global director of consumer technology at UL Solutions—the global company that tests safety certification standards for a wide range of industrial and consumer products and materials—stated that repaired batteries could meet this standard. However, the company doing the repair would need to “maintain the design exactly as it was before the need for repair,” including using the same make and model of the cells and electronic components. Battery repair shops will also need to provide field inspections to UL four times a year, which will cost them over $5,000 annually.
Legislation and Design in the United States
Compared to electric bicycles, U.S. lawmakers have not been entirely silent regarding the repair of electric vehicle batteries. There are no specific laws or legislation addressing this issue. The new EU legislation regarding electric vehicle batteries does not touch on the repair of electric vehicle batteries, other than suggesting that lawmakers update separate legislation on vehicles “to ensure that those batteries can be removed, replaced, and disassembled.” This is an idea supported by the German Insurance Association (GDV), and a spokesperson for the organization stated that it “strongly supports” this. In October, the association published the results of a study showing that the cost of repairing electric vehicles must be paid two-thirds more than the cost of repairing similar gas-powered vehicles, which is partly attributed to the high costs of repairing or replacing batteries.
Electric Vehicle Battery Design
The challenges come at a critical time. Helbs from Cox Automotive says there are two trends in electric vehicle battery design happening simultaneously: “Either batteries become highly serviceable, or not serviceable at all.” Some batteries, like those in the Volkswagen ID.4, feature modular units that are easy to remove and replace. Meanwhile, Tesla’s new 4680 structural battery does not include modules at all. Instead, all the cells are glued together and fastened to the pack itself, which Helbs describes as “impossible to service.” If a bad cell group is found, the entire battery must be replaced.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Grist.
This story was originally published by Grist, a nonprofit media organization covering climate, justice, and solutions issues.
Maddy Stone is a science journalist.
Grist is an independent nonprofit media organization dedicated to telling the stories of climate solutions and a just future.
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