Working towards greener golf carts – A study on the second life of lead-acid batteries

As electric cars become more popular, the disposal of used batteries will become a greater problem across the world. E-mobility requires a high power capability from the batteries to supply the necessary torque to engines. If a battery can no longer supply this power, it is no longer fit to be used in e-mobility. However, some batteries can still supply enough power for other applications, such as renewable energy systems. Repurposing a battery in these conditions is considered by the literature as giving it a second-life. Second-life batteries pose an important problem of cost. While they are sold at cheaper prices, they still require expensive equipment and tests to evaluate if and for how long they can be re-used, making them less competitive. This work proposes a low-cost solution to this issue.