Used Car Battery Packs Get a Second Life as a New Energy Source
In a significant move towards a greener future, Zenith, the UK's largest independent truck-to-car vehicle leasing and fleet management company, has partnered with recell.store, an Altilium company, to develop a solution for the safe and sustainable disposal of fleet damaged and end-of-life electric vehicles (EV) batteries.
This collaboration focuses on the safe and sustainable disposal of EV batteries through a circular economy model that maximizes battery reuse, repurposing, and recycling. The initiative directly supports the UK’s Net Zero target by reducing waste and enabling carbon savings from managing retired EV batteries more sustainably.
With around 100 battery electric vehicle (BEV) write-offs annually from Zenith’s fleet, the partnership addresses the growing issue of how to ensure the safe and ethical disposal of EV batteries. Batteries that can no longer be repurposed will be responsibly recycled at Altilium's state-of-the-art battery recycling facilities in Devon, helping to recover critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel for reuse in the EV battery supply chain.
Used batteries from Zenith's fleet will be managed through recell.store's digital platform, enabling second-life applications where suitable. This move by Europcar is part of the insurance industry's adaptation to the growing electric car parc. Europcar Mobility Group UK is offering insurers the option of pure battery or hybrid replacement cars during the claims management process.
The partnership between recell.store and Zenith also extends beyond battery management. Zenith is already committed to eliminating tailpipe emissions and will work with recell.store to deliver further carbon savings. The EcoDrive feature, aimed at helping fleet managers meet Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) targets and track fuel usage and accident probability, is another aspect of this collaboration.
Greater Than's partner eDriving has launched a new EcoDrive feature powered by Greater Than in its digital driver safety solution MentorSM. This feature encourages safe and efficient driving behaviours, further supporting Zenith's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
By creating standards and infrastructure for battery disposal and second-life usage, the partnership sets a precedent for managing EV batteries responsibly fleet-wide across the UK, encouraging other companies to adopt similar sustainable practices. Overall, the recell.store–Zenith collaboration is a strategic step in building an integrated, sustainable battery lifecycle in the UK, critical for achieving circular material flows and supporting the government’s ambitious climate goals related to transport electrification and resource conservation.
- The collaboration between Zenith and recell.store, an Altilium company, falls under the realm of insurtech, considering the focus on insurers and the management of damaged or end-of-life electric vehicle batteries during the claims process.
- As the UK's largest independent truck-to-car vehicle leasing and fleet management company, Zenith's partnership with recell.store exemplifies a business's commitment to environmental-science, with the goal of developing a solution for safe and sustainable disposal of fleet damaged electric vehicle batteries.
- The initiative, in line with finance and technology, is a significant move towards a greener future, working towards the UK’s Net Zero target by reducing waste and enabling carbon savings from managing retired EV batteries more sustainably.
- The partnership also involves the development and utilization of the EcoDrive feature, powered by Greater Than, which aims to help fleet managers meet Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) targets and track fuel usage and accident probability, further supporting Zenith's commitment to reduce carbon footprint.
