Dr Sara Ridley, engineering & quality director, Autocraft EV Solutions makes the case for why large-scale battery repair needs to be part of the solution and why the current approach of ‘replace-and-recycle’ is flawed.
The electric vehicle (EV) transition is well underway, but we’re not there yet. A lot of people still hesitate and much of that comes down to worries about battery health.
Most of us grew up with internal combustion engines. We understand their health indicators and know how to service them.
EV batteries, by contrast, are a bit of a mystery to most drivers.
What happens if the battery fails? Can it be repaired? How long will it last, and what might it cost to fix? Without clear answers to these questions, confidence in EVs will stall.
The go-to industry practice of replacing and recycling “failed” batteries is not helping drivers feel more confident. For this, we need robust repair solutions to maximise battery longevity.
The myth of the unrepairable battery
Many assume that EV batteries, once they fail, cannot be repaired and are fit only for recycling. That’s simply not true.
The vast majority of failures we see aren’t catastrophic.
We recently published repair data as part of our report, Closing the EV confidence gap: the role of remanufacturing, showing that on average, just 1.1 modules need to be replaced with healthy ones to restore an in-warranty battery pack to full working order.
We’ve repaired thousands of EV batteries, and the pattern is clear: faults usually stem from a small group of weak cells.
If you can pinpoint what’s causing the issue, and that comes down to thorough testing, you can fix it.
Our data also shows that 92% of modules, in fact, are still healthy and reusable.
Yet far too often, entire packs are recycled prematurely, resulting in unnecessary cost, avoidable waste and missed opportunities to support a circular economy.
The environmental cost of replace-and-recycle
We hear a lot about recycling as a sustainability strategy, but recycling too early can actually do more harm than good.
As part of the RECOVAS project, we showed that repairing a battery using remanufactured parts from other packs can reduce carbon emissions by 93% compared to making a brand-new one and scrapping the old one.
When we understand that existing modules can be used to restore countless other packs to full health, it becomes all the more vital to preserve and utilise them.
Not only is this practice much better for the environment, it is essential for a cost-effective and sustainable repair industry.
Testing is the antidote to uncertainty
We also need to talk about the used EV market, because this is where consumer anxiety is most acute.
With a petrol or diesel car, buyers can listen to the engine, take it for a drive and feel confident it’s sound.
EVs are different. The battery is silent, sealed and hard to assess without specialist testing.
That’s where independent state-of-health testing makes a difference.
At Autocraft, we use testing that looks at performance, but can also predict what’s likely to fail and when, so that proactive maintenance can be undertaken. That kind of transparency builds trust.
If a buyer knows repairs are possible and affordable, it’s no longer a leap of faith.
In contrast, many EV owners live in fear that a fault could occur at any moment, leaving them saddled with the cost of a replacement or for the entire vehicle to be scrapped.
Repair isn’t a luxury, it’s a major opportunity
Battery failures are rare, but even the possibility of one is enough to deter many drivers.
If people believe their only option is a costly full replacement, or worse, scrapping the vehicle, they’ll understandably stick with petrol or diesel.
Our success in in-warranty repairs has been driven by industrialising the process.
We’re planning to offer our technology and technical support to large dealer groups and select specialist independents.
But for this model to work commercially, repair volumes will need to grow.
Realistically, it may take several more years before this becomes widespread, but when it does, the availability of repair solutions will give consumers the reassurance they need and play a vital role in accelerating the EV transition.