The Second Life of Hybrid Electric Vehicles Batteries Methodology of Implementation in Ecuador

Abstract

Hybrid car sales in Ecuador in the last 10 years are very promising. The presence of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) in the country generates an increase in nickel metal hydride batteries used (NiHm), these batteries do not follow an adequate recycling and disposal process. Several studies show that these batteries have energy levels and that they can be reused in other applications outside of the car as a power supply. This option of using recovered batteries is known as the second life of the battery (SLB). The reuse of batteries generates options to supply power on a large scale and with this reduce the pollution that these batteries can generate, especially in our country that does not have an optimal recycling process. This chapter presents the design of a methodology for the implementation of second life in Ecuador considering the use of NiHm batteries in HEV. For the design of the methodology, two possible scenarios for its implementation are analyzed. Scenario 1 is the use of NiHm batteries to supply energy to laboratories of a University in the city of Cuenca and scenario 2 shows the use of NiHm batteries as an additional energy source at the Airport of Santa Cruz present in the Galapagos Islands.