Startup makes incredible breakthrough using old EV batteries: ‘The story of a concept that becomes reality’

Italian startup Avathor has created one of the more noble ways to use end-of-life electric vehicle batteries. The company’s Avathor One upgrades the aging, yet still functional, packs to power small vehicles that can carry people in wheelchairs or people who have mobility issues. 

“Instead of letting end-of-life EV packs sit idle, the company is repurposing them,” Carscoops’ Thanos Pappas wrote about the innovation. 

It’s an invention that extends the use of expensive batteries that are chock-full of materials that often require invasive mining and processing to produce. It also shows that unlikely partners are willing to work together when it matters most. 

The batteries are from Stellantis, the automaking giant with well-known brands in its portfolio. Avathor One was designed by Italdesign, which is part of competitor Volkswagen Group. It helps that all of the companies involved have key operations in Turin, where the vehicle is being developed, according to Carscoops. 

And the ride lives up to its Italian roots. It’s sleek and modern, resembling a vehicle from “Tron.” A rear-side ramp allows wheelchair access. The vehicle is controlled with a joystick, has a 31-mile range, and can go about 6 mph. It also has a load of sensors, cameras, and LED lights to ensure a safe trip, according to the company website. 

And if successfully rolled out — plans are to launch in Italy this year, followed by other markets — it could improve lives in more ways than one. 

Aging EV batteries pose a significant environmental hazard if improperly trashed. They are a fire risk when sent to landfills and can leach toxic metals into the environment, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

But even after 10-20 years powering EVs, the packs still have plenty of ability for service outside of the regular rigors of road travel. California’s B2U Storage is using old EV batteries to store solar energy for grid support. An innovation in England has converted diesel trucks to electric power, sucking the last life out of packs as they carry them to a recycler, as other examples.

That’s in addition to investments from Mercedes and others to better recycle key battery components for reuse, helping to lower pack costs and prevent harmful waste. 

It’s important to note that tens of millions of tons of deposits from Earth will be needed in the coming decades to power the shift to cleaner technology. So every recycled pack can reduce the need for new materials. But that load of metals and minerals is still far short of the 16.5 billion tons of dirty fuels mined from the ground each year, Sustainability by Numbers reported. 

For their part, typical EV batteries usually have a decade-long, 100,000-mile warranty and “rarely need replaced,” according to Recurrent. 

That’s why making the switch to a cleaner ride is a value that provides, on average, $1,500 in savings on gas and service costs with no more oil changes. Certain states still offer a range of perks for buying and charging one. Ford’s Power Promise even pays for an at-home charger and installation when you purchase or lease one of its EVs. 

Importantly, each EV that replaces a gas-burning vehicle prevents thousands of pounds of planet-warming fumes, the Department of Energy reported. What’s more, the Environmental Protection Agency has a laundry list of health risks associated with breathing the tailpipe exhaust, including cancer and airway damage. 

Avathor One is an innovative example that extends the usefulness of cleaner technology.

It’s “the story of a concept that becomes reality for the movement of people in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility,” according to the company.

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