Imagine that the high-voltage battery is damaged or stops working. You are happy with the car and want to keep it for many years. But when you ask for a new battery, you may be met with a "no".
New batteries in a used car?
To get to the point, that's not what this article is about whose who pays – whether it is the guarantee, the insurance or yourself. The problem is of a far more serious nature. It will probably not be possible to buy a new battery. You can buy one used battery from a damaged car, or an overhauled battery - or you can have your old battery overhauled. You can probably just forget about a new battery.
Tesla, Norway's best-selling electric car, guarantees the high-voltage batteries for 8 years or 160, 000 or 192 km, depending on the model. But the warranty says nothing about replacing it with one news battery. On Tesla's own pages, it is stated that you can get an overhauled battery. In practice, that is exactly what happens. There are several cases discussed in the media, where Tesla has replaced the battery under warranty, with a used – and perhaps overhauled – battery. When it fails again after an all-too-short lifetime, the warranty period has expired and the car may have acquired a new owner.
The situation is the same for all car manufacturers.
Many car buyers are concerned about battery life and how long warranties last. Few question whether they can really get one news battery should the need arise. It is taken for granted that all spare parts can be purchased throughout the normal life of the car.
Batteries age during storage
Whether high-voltage batteries can be obtained as spare parts is not much talked about. Nobody knows how big the demand will be, and very few car manufacturers have taken into account being able to supply batteries for 10-year-old cars. Mechanical and electrical spare parts can be stored for 15 years without problems. Batteries, on the other hand, is a chemical product that deteriorates on storage. In 15 years they will no longer be new. Then it may be that they are in a worse condition than the battery you want to replace it with.
Change to a newer battery?
If you have a current electric car that is 4-5 years old, your battery pack is probably already out of production. You cannot easily install batteries of a newer version in it from car, although the external dimensions are the same. You have to count on upgrades in the BMS (Battery Management System) and the possible replacement of several components. For example, if you are going to upgrade the Tesla 3 or Tesla Y from 75 kWh to 82 kWh, the chassis must also be upgraded. On a 4-5 year old car, the cost of all this will easily exceed the car's value.
Reproduce outdated battery packs?
There are no manufacturers that reproduce new battery packs for older cars. Setting up the production equipment is very expensive, and today a significant proportion of the batteries' cost. Keeping production lines to produce older batteries in small quantities for spare parts weakens both production capacity and profitability.
A future requirement?
Will the future bring a storm of car owners wanting to change batteries? Will usable cars be sent for recycling due to lack of access to battery packs? If that happens, the environmental benefit of electric cars will be weakened, which could force demands from the authorities. However, the most important demand should come from the customers. It must be possible to obtain new spare parts during the cars' expected lifetime! And there are actually good ways to solve this – solutions that the car industry can be forced to follow.
Standards for batteries
Today, fortunately, there are standards with regard to charging contacts. One can imagine the same for batteries, similar to what we have today for batteries for household appliances - also rechargeable. A standard for battery packs may include physical dimensions, protocols and interfaces to cooling systems and control systems. The aim is for it to be possible to replace one battery with another – perhaps with different properties. Another important advantage of standardization is that it can open the way for independent suppliers to supply batteries in the aftermarket. You may not need the largest and most expensive batteries in an old electric car.
Replaceable batteries
Today, only NIO and Dongfeng have developed the technology and infrastructure to replace batteries outside the workshops. If the batteries can be replaced easily and inexpensively, car owners will be able to upgrade or downgrade batteries according to need and finances. NIO has introduced a battery-as-a-service (BaaS) concept that makes it possible to replace an empty battery with a full one in just 5 minutes – and thus not have to wait for charging. NIO owners with this scheme can also choose batteries with other characteristics – 75, 100 or 150 kWh – depending on needs and finances. Exchangeable battery schemes require the car manufacturer – or (in the future) independent battery suppliers – to have a selection of batteries available for replacement at all times.
Stick to current car brands!
Standardization and replaceable batteries can help new car manufacturers enter new markets. If you buy one of the best-selling electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Tesla 3 or Tesla Y, you will always be able to have access to used batteries. If you hit the chassis hard on a sharp rock and damage the battery, it can be reassuring to know that the car can be repaired on the insurance. If you buy an unknown car brand that disappears or goes bankrupt after selling a few hundred cars, the accident could mean the end of the car.
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