Breathing new life into batteries 

With electromobility ramping up, a strong increase in used batteries is to be expected in the future. After the first use of energy storage units in a truck, bus, or van (first life), they can be reused in the vehicle (second use), or repurposed for another application (second life).

The goal of the new research project, REVAMP (Remanufacturing of variant battery modules with automated assembly and testing processes), is to investigate the various possibilities associated with this second stage of a battery’s lifecycle. 

REVAMP is a consortium of nine partners from industry and science, led by MAN Truck and Bus. The project is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection as part of the funding measure for “Research in Priority Funding for Battery Cell Production”. The aim of the project – which is supervised by project management organisation VDI/VDE-IT – is to increase the use rate for second use and second life batteries in Germany.

One challenge faced by the REVAMP project when it comes to the remanufacture of commercial vehicle batteries is that these batteries have different ageing states when they come back for a condition assessment. The fact that the shape, structure, and manufacturer of the battery varies is another challenge. These and other factors mean that it is very important that the entire remanufacturing system be designed flexibly, with the ability to react to these different states and battery characteristics.

In addition, a digital twin is being developed to map the entire battery lifecycle. This digital twin will also be used for a lifecycle assessment based on key figures, in order to evaluate the decisions made for the batteries’ subsequent use and to track the sustainability goals of remanufacturing. The results obtained will be validated in application-oriented tests and demonstrated in the eMobility technical centre at MAN’s facilities in Nuremberg.