Spatial modeling of a second-use strategy for electric vehicle batteries to improve disaster resilience and circular economy

As electric vehicle adoption increases, there is a need for strategic innovation to manage end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). When no longer viable for vehicle use, LIBs still retain significant energy storage capacity. Enabling second-use of LIBs for stationary energy storage presents an opportunity for circular economy innovation, value retention, and sustainable management of raw materials. Second-use LIBs used for stationary back-up power can also contribute to energy resilience, disaster relief, and resource efficiency. This study analyzes a circular economy management model for LIBs by integrating three methods: Multi-criteria decision analysis is used to determine strategic locations for second-use LIB stationary deployment; geospatial analysis is used to determine efficient transportation routes from LIB consolidation points to strategic destinations; and material flow analysis estimates anticipated local availability of second-use LIBs. A case study of Berlin, Germany, is used to demonstrate the model. Results show that under business-as-usual growth, >23,000 second-use LIBs could be diverted for second-use applications by 2040, and could provide back-up power to critical infrastructure, such as emergency traffic signals, for up to 380 h during a disaster event. Under an aggressive electric vehicle adoption scenario to 2040, more than 100,600 LIBs could be diverted from waste, providing significant opportunities for post-disaster recovery using distributed energy infrastructure. This model demonstrates the potential contribution of integrated circular economy strategies to achieving both resilience and sustainability objectives.