Kia and Infinitev partner on Australia-based EV battery recycling and repurposing

A week out from the Australian launch of its massive new EV9 SUV, Kia has revealed it will look to local outfit Infinitev on the recycling and repurposing of batteries when they're too tired to run your EV.

Sustainability and 'end of life' care for EV batteries has become a hot-button issue as more and more electric cars achieve senior status. It wasn't all that long ago that, when asked, brands couldn't tell us about their plans for dead or damaged batteries, because they simply hadn't reached that point yet in any meaningful volume.

And, until recently, there were no facilities in Australia to ensure depleted or damaged battery packs were properly handled – and utilised, where possible – but as our ongoing story here shows, that's changing fast.

Infinitev says its partnership with Kia is focused as much as possible on battery reuse and repurposing – such as stationary applications like charging networks and other systems requiring power storage.

"We are proud to have a holistic solution that addresses the environmental concerns associated with electric vehicle batteries," said Dickson Leow, General Manager of Infinitev.

"Our innovative reuse approach ensures that the transition to a circular economy is not only sustainable but also reduces waste and preserves valuable resources. Through responsible battery management, we can accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and build a greener Australia."

Infinitev uses a diagnostic system called HealthCheck to establish the capacity and condition of individual battery cells, allowing them to then determine which components can go onto various work in a 'second life' program.

The company works to the following categories after assessment

1. A grade modules are reused to build batteries for electric vehicles
2. B grade modules are repurposed for battery energy storage systems
3. C grade modules are recycled by Infinitev’s partners to recover valuable materials

2

Kia Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith said of the partnership: “What happens to an electric vehicle battery at the end of its life is an important consideration when it comes to EV buyers, so this is a very significant program.”

Meredith said that a key part of the program is to ensure existing Kia EV owners can be confident that their batteries can be refurbished.

"We are currently in the very early stages of developing a solution tailored to Kia customers that will allow their electric vehicle batteries to be refurbished instead of discarded."