One of Australia's biggest automakers has teamed with a Melbourne firm to develop ways to reuse, repurpose and recycle electric vehicle batteries when they start to run out of puff.
Kia Australia announced its partnership with Infinitev on Thursday, in a deal the companies said could "preserve valuable resources" and address a sustainability sticking point in the industry.
The deal comes as the Battery Stewardship Council works with Australian automotive groups to develop a plan for industry-wide vehicle battery recycling.
Kia Australia chief executive Damien Meredith said the company's partnership with Infinitev marked a significant milestone in addressing environmental concerns about electric vehicle batteries.
"What happens to an electric vehicle battery at the end of its life is an important consideration when it comes to EV buyers," Mr Meredith said.
"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."
Infinitev general manager Dickson Leow said the Cranbourne-based firm had already developed a process for investigating electric vehicle batteries; first examining the power sources for safety and then running diagnostic checks to assess their remaining performance.
Batteries with an A grade could be reused in another vehicle, B grade could be repurposed for energy storage, while C grade would be recycled to recover their materials.
"Through responsible battery management, we can accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles," Mr Leow said.
"Our innovative reuse approach ensures that the transition to a circular economy is not only sustainable but also reduces waste and preserves natural resources."
Kia sells two electric vehicles in Australia, the EV6 and Niro, which represented more than 2500 of the new electric cars sold to September this year, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
Kia's hybrid vehicle, the Sorrento, made up more than 7000 new car sales.
Earlier this year, Australia's Battery Stewardship Council released a discussion paper on electric vehicle battery recycling, in conjunction with the FCAI and Motor Trades Association.
The council plans to develop an options paper and industry stewardship scheme to govern electric car battery recycling in Australia.
American firm Redwood Materials, which operates an electric vehicle battery recycling program in California, has said it is able to extract 95 per cent of materials used in vehicle battery packs, including lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper.
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