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Cited by 400Advanced Battery Technologies ResearchElectric Vehicles and InfrastructurePower Systems and Renewable Energy

Second life batteries lifespan: Rest of useful life and environmental analysis

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Casals, Lluc Canals, Amante García, B., Canal, Camille·2019·Journal of Environmental Management
DOI 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.046
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Abstract

Road transportation is heading towards electrification using Li-ion batteries to power electric vehicles offering eight or ten years' warrant. After that, batteries are considered inappropriate for traction services but they still have 80% of its original capacity. On the other hand, energy storage devices will have an important role in the electricity market. Being Li-ion batteries still too expensive to provide such services with economic profit, the idea to reuse affordable electric vehicle batteries for a 2nd life originated the Sunbatt project, connecting the automotive and electricity sectors. The battery reuse is, by itself, a path towards sustainability, but the cleanliness of energy storage also depends on the electricity generation power sources and the battery ageing or lifespan. This paper analyses the rest of useful life of 2nd life batteries on four different stationary applications, which are: Support to fast electric vehicle charges, self-consumption, area regulation and transmission deferral. To do so, it takes advantage of an equivalent electric battery-ageing model that simulates the battery capacity fade through its use. This model runs on Matlab and includes several ageing mechanisms, such as calendar ageing, C-rate, Depth-of-Discharge, temperature and voltage. Results show that 2nd life battery lifespan clearly depends on its use, going from about 30 years in fast electric vehicle charge support applications to around 6 years in area regulation grid services. Additionally, this study analyses the day-to-day emissions from electricity generation in Spain, and states that grid oriented energy storage applications will hardly offer environmental benefits in the nearby future. On the other hand, applications that go by the hand of renewable power sources, such as self-consumption applications, are much more appropriate.

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  • SLB has lower initial costs but may require replacement every 10-15 years, and operational costs depend on charge/discharge cycles and efficiency.

    “SLB: lower initial costs but may require replacement every 10-15 years; operational costs depend on charge/discharge cycles and efficiency [36]”

    From Designing a Sustainable Off-Grid EV Charging Station: Analysis Across Urban and Remote Canadian Regions (2026) · cites this paper as [36]

    The Results and discussion report that three studied applications last more than 10 years before replacement, including a transmission-deferral battery lasting almost 11 years; the paper does not give 10–15 years as a general replacement interval. The same passage estimates a lower selling price for second-life batteries than for new lithium-ion packs. Material and methods links battery ageing to use and accounts for charge/discharge efficiency losses, but does not establish how operational costs depend on cycles and efficiency. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • SLB is effective for short to medium-term storage, but performance declines with frequent deep discharges, limiting reliability during prolonged low-generation periods.

    “SLB: effective for short to medium-term storage, but performance declines with frequent deep discharges, limiting reliability during prolonged low-generation periods.”

    From Designing a Sustainable Off-Grid EV Charging Station: Analysis Across Urban and Remote Canadian Regions (2026) · cites this paper as [36]

    The Methods section (page not provided) models greater ageing at greater depth of discharge, and the Results and discussion section reports that aged batteries may fail to meet demand during deep discharges. The paper studies second-life batteries in stationary storage applications, but it does not establish a short-to-medium-term storage limit or examine reliability during prolonged low-generation periods. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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References 39 · Cited by 400

Research works printed but not linked: 30

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Authors
Casals, L. C., Amante García, B., & Canal, C.
Affiliations
Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya (ES)
Corresponding author
Casals, Lluc Canals
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Environmental Management
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-02
Volume
232
Pages
354-363
ISSN
0301-4797 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.046
OpenAlex
W2903080041
Cited by
400
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 67 · 2025: 60 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 59 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 59 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 12
FWCI
14.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Environmental Management (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UPCommons institutional repository (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
  • Sunbatt Project (RD14-1-0036)
  • MINECO (TEC2015-63899-C3-1-R)
  • FEDER
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Advanced Battery Technologies Research
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Energy Engineering and Power Technology › Power Systems and Renewable Energy
Keywords
second-life batteries, lithium-ion batteries, battery life, battery degradation, capacity fade, stationary energy storage, self-consumption, renewable energy integration
MeSH terms
Electricity, Lithium, Longevity, Electric Power Supplies, Spain

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