Economic Feasibility Analysis of Second-Life Batteries in Electric Bus Charging Station at Stanford

Currently, a persistent concern arises regarding the management of retired Li-ion batteries from electric vehicles (EVs). A potential solution is to repurpose these batteries for less demanding applications, such as energy storage systems. Such repurposed batteries are commonly referred to as second-life batteries (SLBs). In this work, we explore the economic feasibility of implementing SLBs in Stanford University’s EV bus charging station via previously developed technoeconomic decision support model. The model simulates battery aging behaviors across various usage conditions, optimizing the operational parameters of SLBs. The estimated lifetime is expected to be 10 years in an optimal using condition. In addition, an economic sensitivity analysis explores the influences of various factors. Furthermore, we calculate the cost savings of total $82,500 over its second lifetime, which is derived from the adoption of SLB instead of new batteries.