Techno-Economic Assessments of Second-Life Batteries for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

When electric vehicle (EV) batteries degrade below a certain capacity, they may no longer be suitable for automotive use but can be repurposed as second-life batteries (SLBs) for other applications, such as EV charging stations. When integrated with photovoltaic (PV) systems, SLB can store surplus solar energy, reducing reliance on the grid and lowering operational costs. This paper presents a novel techno-economic assessment framework for deploying SLBs in combination with PV in grid-connected EV charging stations. The proposed framework integrates the value proposition, charging station operation, optimal dispatch strategies, battery degradation modeling, input data requirements, and detailed procedures for generating key economic performance metrics. Insightful analyses are performed to assess the performance of SLBs in comparison to new batteries across various cost scenarios. The results indicate that SLBs become financially attractive when their cost is 40% or lower than new batteries.

I. Introduction

The rapid increase in battery usage across diverse industries, especially in electric vehicles (EVs), has raised concerns about the management and disposal of used batteries, particularly Li-ion cells, which lack completely efficient recycling facil-ities [1]. Repurposing these batteries as second-life batteries (SLBs) offers a sustainable solution, as they retain 70-80% of their original capacity [2], making them suitable to serve various applications, such as charging stations. Integrating photovoltaic (PV) systems with SLBs in EV charging infras-tructure enhances efficiency and sustainability by harnessing solar energy and reducing reliance on the grid, contributing to a more circular economy.