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A second life for electric car batteries: The German-Indian start-up Nunam is going to put three electric pedicabs into operation on the roads of India. They are powered by reused batteries from the Audi e-tron test fleet. The aim of the project is to explore how modules made from high-voltage batteries can be reused after the car’s life cycle and given a second life. The project also aims to strengthen job opportunities for women in India: they will be provided with electric pedicabs as a means of transportation. This non-profit start-up, based in Berlin and Bangalore, is funded by the Audi Foundation for the Environment. Nunam has developed all three prototypes in collaboration with the training team at the Audi headquarters in Neckarsulm, which in turn benefits from the intense cultural exchange.
Apart from Nunam, this is the first joint project between AUDI AG and the Audi Foundation for the Environment.
Traditional electric rickshaws (pedicabs) powered by second-life batteries are scheduled to hit India’s roads for the first time in a pilot project in early 2023. They will be made available to a non-profit organization there. Women, in particular, will be able to use these fully electric vehicles to get around and sell their products, all without the need for intermediaries. The electric pedicabs are powered by used battery modules that had their first life in an Audi e-tron. “Reused batteries are still extremely powerful,” explains Nunam co-founder Prodip Chatterjee. “When used properly, second-life batteries can be of great use, helping people in difficult situations to earn an income and gain financial independence, all in a sustainable way.”
The main objective of the company is to develop ways to use used batteries as second-life energy storage systems, thus prolonging their useful life and using resources more efficiently.
“Car batteries are designed to last the life of the vehicle. But even after use, they still retain much of their energy,” says Chatterjee. “For use in vehicles with lower range and power needs, as well as lower overall weight, they hold great promise. In this second life project, we reuse electric car batteries in other electric vehicles; we could call it ‘light’ electric mobility. In this way, we are trying to find out how much energy the batteries can continue to provide in this demanding use.”
What to do with used batteries
“Electric pedicabs are ideally eco-efficient,” explains Chatterjee, 31. With a high-energy-density battery and low vehicle weight compared to an e-tron, the electric motor need not be particularly powerful, as pedicab drivers in India do not travel at high speeds or long distance. Although electric-powered pedicabs are common on the subcontinent’s roads, they are often powered by lead-acid batteries, which have a relatively short lifespan and are often not disposed of properly.
At the same time, pedicab drivers recharge their vehicles mainly with electricity from the public grid, which, in India, has a high proportion of coal-based power. Nunam also has a solution for this: electric pedicabs are charged using energy from solar charging stations. Solar panels are installed on the roofs of its partners’ premises. During the day, sunlight charges an e-tron’s battery, which acts as an intermediate storage unit. At night, the energy is transferred to the pedicabs. This approach makes local driving virtually carbon free. The result: electric pedicabs can be used throughout the day and charged with green energy in the evening and at night. In India, where the sun shines all year round, using solar panels is a no-brainer. The charging station has also been developed in-house.
Nunam will continuously monitor the performance and range of the electric pedicabs. The managers will share all the data from the electric pedicabs they collect available to potential imitators on circularbattery.org, an open platform. In fact, the reproduction of the project is expressly encouraged. “Initiatives like the one Nunam has launched are necessary to find new ways to use electrical waste. Not just in India, but all over the world. That is why Nunam is sharing its knowledge to motivate further product development initiatives with second-life components that can fuel an eco-social revolution,” says Rüdiger Recknagel, Head of the Audi Foundation for the Environment, which has been funding Nunam since 2019.
Also, after the battery has spent its first life in an Audi e-tron and its second in an electric pedicab, it need not have reached the end of its useful life. In a third step, the remaining power from the batteries could be used for stationary applications, such as LED lighting. “We want to get the most out of every battery before we recycle it,” says co-founder Prodip Chatterjee.
In the long term, electric mobility and solar energy can help reduce India’s dependence on fossil fuels such as coal, reduce the huge volume of exhaust gas emissions on India’s roads, and provide the population with a reliable electric. Rüdiger Recknagel comments: “In many ways, this project points the way forward.”
sustainable pedicabs
In addition to pedicabs intended for road use in India, students at the Neckarsulm plant are developing a display pedicab in cooperation with Nunam. Visitors to the Greentech Festival in Berlin will be able to learn about it, and even try it, from June 22. Under the leadership of Timo Engler, responsible for automotive engineering and logistics training at Neckarsulm, a team of twelve students is playing a key role in the development. “The students and Nunam are in constant communication: we have a direct line between Neckarsulm and Bangalore. In building the show rickshaw, our students have focused on range, charging time and design – the result is a rickshaw with all the Audi DNA,” says Engler. “For us, it is important that the students participate in the project from beginning to end and that they are free to contribute and contribute their own ideas. Our recipe for success is ‘Learn by working’. At the same time, we impart fundamental knowledge about the development of electromobility, resource efficiency and charging technologies in an almost playful and informal way. It is an innovative project because it combines the megatrends of sustainability, electromobility, internationalization and social responsibility.”
The students replaced the combustion engine with an electric one and designed the subfloor to house the second-life batteries and to be impact and water resistant, while using as many recyclable materials as possible. Mechatronics technicians, bodybuilders, painters, tool mechanics, IT technicians and automation technicians participated in the project. “We are delighted to be able to offer our students the opportunity to participate in an international project through the Foundation’s network. It promotes the intercultural exchange of knowledge and technology, from which both parties benefit enormously,” says Rüdiger Recknagel.
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