According to a recent Reuters report (via auto news).
According to the report, battery packs can account for up to 50% of the price of an electric vehicle, often making them uneconomical to replace. And while there’s no standard procedure for dealing with damaged battery packs, it’s often more common to replace rather than repair. In some cases, that can result in relatively new vehicles being “aggregated” by insurance companies due to minor damage.
The report shows the automaker’s policies regarding the repairability of different battery packs. Ford says the individual battery modules can be replaced, and says it has developed an easier way to replace the battery tray if the exterior fails. Nissan and Renault also say the modules can be replaced without dropping the whole package, but say this can only be done at dealers or other manufacturer-affiliated facilities.
Polestar 2 . battery pack
Stellantis says it does not repair batteries following issues with deploying airbags, while structural packs in newer versions of the Tesla Model Y, which use 4680 format cells, cannot be repaired, according to the report. fox.
Repairability can also be an issue with Cell transplantation technology omit modules to increase performance and power density. Chinese battery company CATL is starting to offer the batteries to automakers, starting with Geely’s Zeekr brand and potentially expanding to future Hyundai, Kia and Genesis models. Chinese startup Beta Auto aims to advance the concept with cell-to-frame applicationalthough so far no company has announced plans to use either configuration on vehicles destined for the US market.
GM electric pickup silhouette – from Ultium 2020 platform preview
General Motors says its new Ultium battery pack is designed for modular repair, and it has previously boasted that its wireless battery management system and pack structure will allows new cell design without redesigning the package—and it may allow for simpler package repair.
While automakers can’t agree on whether a battery pack should be repaired or replaced, they are slowly working together around the recycling of those batteries and their precious materials when they are actually past the end of their useful life. GM has named Canada’s Li-Cycle Official recycler for Ultium battery cellswhile Ford, Toyota and the Volkswagen Group’s Audi and VW brands have partnered with Red wood material.
