Project Summary

This project will develop a battery for e-bikes and e-scooters designed specifically for the circular economy (i.e. it is modular with individual parts that can easily be reused, refurbished, or recycled).

Project Achievements

Activities After conducting initial calculations and tests which confirmed the viability of this project, FLIT developed a first prototype which showed the concept of having cells that are easy to access for refurbishment or recycling was feasible. These calculations and tests also showed that careful consideration would have to be given to the structure of the battery pack, exposure to debris entering the pack during assembly or refurbishment, and the reliability of the contacts. The second prototype improved on the structural design and addressed the reliability of the contacts by using the compression of each battery structure itself to connect each cell to the circuit.

Conclusions

This project demonstrated that the concept generated is feasible, but further development is required to commercialise it, for example by developing the battery to the standards required for international certification. If this battery concept can be fully commercialised, then it has the potential to greatly impact how efficiently battery cells and materials are used in the micro-mobility sector across Europe and globally.

Next Steps

Having successfully demonstrated the feasibility of this concept, we will now seek further funding to develop more advanced prototypes that advance the project to higher TRL levels, and assess the feasibility of the operating environment. This will require both assessing how this type of battery might be integrated into e-bikes and e-scooters already in widespread use, and more thoroughly understanding the practicalities of how manufacturing, logistics, and maintenance processes work for the companies that we wish to collaborate with.