- Cox Automotive warns that long-term future of EVs is under threat
- A culture of ‘replace rather than repair’ could be damaging residual values
- As a result, older EVs will struggle to stay on the road
The notion of a vehicle clocking up the mystical 500,000-mile figure could potentially die with the internal combustion engine, as experts warn that the current manufacturer focus on recyclability rather than repairability in modern EVs is threatening the long-term future of the technology itself.
Speaking at the FT Future of the Car Summit in London, Cox Automotive’s European director of operations for EV battery solutions, Antonia Stephenson, said that it is important that manufacturers design batteries “with repair in mind”, adding that it was important to “keep them in the vehicle and then into the energy storage industry beyond that,” according to Auto Express.
Stephenson pointed out that the EV industry is currently focused on range, as manufacturers attempt to convince buyers to move away from petrol and diesel by offering models that offer similar mileage to their fossil-fuel-burning counterparts between stops.
As a result, Stephenson claims that “design has moved in the way of less repairable batteries” and that current legislation is built around recycling, rather than incentivizing manufacturers to make battery packs easy to repair.
The result of relying on replacing damaged or worn-out battery packs, rather than opting for cheaper repairs, could be very challenging for the residual values of used vehicles.
“Brand reputation is very important, and with so much choice now, people are going to be thinking about repairability in the future,” she added.
Analysis: a lack of repairability plagues the tech industry
As we have seen with laptops, tablets, and smartphones, much of the consumer tech world is racing headlong into an era of irreparability, with most products now making it almost impossible to repair or replace individual parts.
Now, more than ever, EVs are being compared to the same pieces of consumer tech — essentially oversized computers on wheels.
While they may host AI-powered voice assistants and could one day be able to drive themselves, they also suffer from similar consumer confidence issues, with many buyers worried what their vehicles will be worth in, say, ten years’ time… or if any of the onboard tech will still work.
But buying a new vehicle is often cited as the second-largest purchase an individual will make, after buying a house or flat, which means secondhand or residual value is extremely important.
As Antonia Stephenson points out: “If we keep throwing things away and not repairing them once they’re out of warranty, there’s a big problem being stored up.
“If a second-hand vehicle doesn’t have a warranty, if the battery’s only option is to be recycled and a new one purchased, it’s not as cost-effective as people would expect from a second-hand vehicle.”
This very issue is creating a large swathe of EV skeptics, keen to hold on to their internal combustion engines because they know parts can easily be sourced and replaced when they wear out.
Battery packs are one of the most expensive parts of a modern electric vehicle, and it feels completely backward and ridiculously energy-intensive to recycle and replace, rather than be able to easily replace damaged cells.
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