TruckandTrackSummer2020

www.truckandtrack.com Summer 2020 Truck and Track 37 ELECTRIC VEHICLES Electric Vehicles (EVs) play a vital role in the reduction of carbon emissions, and with new legislation, like the Government ban on the sale of new combustion engine vehicles taking effect in 2035, sales will continue to rise. As we transition to greener vehicles it’s important not to create new environmental problems and, while EV batteries are key to reducing carbon emissions, they must be handled responsibly. Electra Commercial Vehicles, a UK Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has signed up to Battery Passport - an innovative solution that benefits both EV manufacturers and vehicle owners by extending the life of a lithium battery. Depending on the application, an EV’s lithium battery will typically last 7-10 years. All lithium batteries degrade over time and the speed of degradation is dependent on several factors, including usage, charge rates and temperature. When a battery reaches its ‘end of vehicle life’ it must be replaced, and the old battery disposed of. Government legislation requires EV batteries to be properly collected and recycled, and the responsibility and cost falls to the EV manufacturers. The cost of recycling is higher than the sale of elements recovered by the recycling process, forcingmanufacturers to foot the bill. These batteries don’t have to go straight to be recycled, they can still have around 80% usable capacity remaining so are useful to the energy storage sector, who can put them in an application that doesn’t have the same size and weight constraints as a vehicle. A former vehicle battery could help manage solar panels within your home or provide backup energy as part of a large facility connected to the grid. The energy storage market currently struggles to identify the right second-life application for a battery as its previous history has a big effect on its future potential. There is no simple way to see the history of a battery and the vehicle odometer value does not offer much assistance as the battery is worn through other factors like discharge rates than overall mileage. Electra Commercial Vehicles, a recently established UK vehicle manufacturer producing electric HGVs, did not want to send lithiumbatteries for recycling and recognised the need for a greener alternative. Battery Passport, developed by UK telematics supplier CodeSmith Technology, is the greener service. It is a battery monitoring service that provides access to the live battery data and uses that information to give the vehicle owner recommendations towards extending the on-vehicle life of the battery. The service also grades the quality of the battery and predicts its future potential, providing the second life market with the information needed to assess the suitability of the battery. Battery Passport allows a vehicle owner to share this passport with a buyer, giving them the confidence that it is suitable for a storage solution. This confidence helps to secure the residual value in the battery and, in turn, makes Electra’s vehicles more affordable to fleet operators looking to electrify their fleets. Electra have had recent success with large orders for their refuse collection vehicles fromcouncils across the UKwho are very keen to cut carbonemissions. TheBattery Passport is helping to establishan electric vehicle as a truly green alternative to a combustion engine vehicle from more than just a fuel perspective but a recycling and re-use standpoint as well. When the vehicle battery is eventually sold, it is the vehicle owner that receives this income. Electra benefit as the battery does not need recycling and those recycling commitments pass to the second-life manufacturer. Battery Passport has worldwide potential and can only grow the electric vehicle market. With further service benefits planned to include a marketplace allowing vehicle owners to sell batteries directly to the second-life sector, there has never been a better time to look at electrifying your fleets. To find out more visit: https://batterypassport.org Battery Passport – making Electric Vehicles greener &more affordable LOADS MORE TRUCKS & TRAILERS 01543 420 121 www.deker.co.uk