Evyon breathes sustainable new life into spent EV batteries

To meet the demand for clean electricity, the world needs millions more eco-friendly batteries to power electric vehicles and store electricity produced from renewable sources, such as solar and wind. However, most new battery production has a significant carbon footprint.

“The number of electric cars is expected to increase rapidly in the years to come. This means that if we are to reduce climate impact, battery production must be energy efficient and utilise as little fossil electricity as possible,” says Lisbeth Dahllöf, researcher at the IVL Swedish Environmental Institute.

To address this problem, a few innovative companies have developed low-carbon technology to repurpose discarded EV batteries into battery storage systems. Evyon is one of those pioneers.

Evyon repurposes second-life EV batteries into green battery systems for residential and commercial use. The battery systems can be used for a wide range of stationary storage applications, from peak shaving to storage of solar cell energy for self-consumption.

“What differentiates us from similar technology is our data-driven approach. We capture data wherever we can to learn how batteries behave and degrade. With our proprietary hardware and software ecosystem, we maximise the value of every battery and take them back for recycling at end of life,” explains Erdal.

Evyon’s solution includes a “Battery Cloud”, an online platform where users can monitor their own battery system. This gives real-time and historical insight about the system, such as voltage and current. “Using our Battery Cloud, users can be sure that the batteries are safe and reliable for their entire lifespan,” says Erdal.

Evyon helps to meet the growing demand for sustainable battery storage. “In order to have a fully renewable future, we need to install terawatt hours of energy storage to give us reliable, clean power when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing,” says Erdal.

“By using existing batteries, we are helping to reduce the industry’s environmental impact. In fact, current research and our own experience suggest that Evyon may have a 95 per cent lower carbon footprint compared to systems based on new battery cells.”

Moreover, Evyon’s solution mitigates the battery waste problem and reduces the need to extract rare earth elements. It also boosts companies’ bottom line, as repurposed battery systems cost up to 50 per cent less than new battery systems.

In today’s world with supply shortages and logistics delays, Evyon can also provide systems faster than new system providers can. Evyon can deliver its battery systems in three to four months, compared to six to nine months for new battery systems.

Evyon is a dynamic new player in the global stationary battery storage market, which is expected to reach USD 140 billion by 2030.

In 2022, the company will target partners and customers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

“Our customers are renewable energy system integrators, which integrate solar PV and battery hybrid systems for end-users. This way we can scale quickly while still making sure our products fit the needs of each customer segment in each market,” explains Erdal.

Founded in 2020, Evyon has already delivered multiple prototypes to paying customers, and plans to launch assembly line production by the end of 2022. Then the system will be delivered as modular plug-and-play units.

“We have come so far so quickly because we are super passionate about our work. Thankfully we’ve got strong support from Antler and Innovation Norway, among others,” concludes Erdal.