Unless you are a car fanatic, you typically do not spend time thinking about the battery in your vehicle. However, there are two exceptions to this generalization: You certainly think about your battery when it has died, and if you are thinking about purchasing an electric vehicle (EV), the part has likely been on your mind lately. EVs are notorious for battery problems, but one company is working to revolutionize the life of batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Spiers New Technologies (SNT) is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company works in four areas, which they refer to as the 4Rs: repair, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and repurposing of EV batteries. And, as one of the leading companies in this space, they are leveraging economies of scale to quickly expand.
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What does SNT look like in action? Their process could start with someone bringing their EV into the mechanic, and the mechanic determining they need a new battery. That mechanic would then call SNT, who would pick up the dead battery and provide a new one (typically by the next day). The dead battery would then return to SNT facilities to be run through one of the 4Rs.
This process may seem simple, but it is revolutionary in the EV space. BBC explained one of the key differences between EVs and traditional cars that provides context: “While most EV components are much the same as those of conventional cars, the big difference is the battery. While traditional lead-acid batteries are widely recycled, the same can’t be said for the lithium-ion versions used in electric cars.”
Experts are sounding the alarm on what to do with EV batteries once they are no longer in use. Alternative uses, such as giving these batteries a second life in renewable power, and recycling programs are starting to crop up. But little will do more to mitigate the potential impact of discarded EV batteries than extending their lifespan to do what they were created to do in the first place.
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This context is what makes the work of SNT so important, especially as the EV transition picks up speed. The company itself understands the importance of their position:
“Spiers New Technologies lives at the intersection of where some of the most sophisticated vehicle technology ever developed (high voltage traction batteries) meets the wear and tear of daily use in the real world. SNT understands how vehicle batteries degrade over time and over use. SNT understands how those same batteries can be refurbished to extend their original use or be repurposed to a second life use. There is no company in the world with more experience in the 4R’s of multiple OEM battery packs than SNT. SNT stands ready to serve the battery life cycle needs of every major vehicle OEM.”
Demand for EVs will certainly not reach its full potential as long as consumers have major concerns about vehicle parts and repairs. SNT is stepping into the gap to help solve one of the key concerns facing the EV industry – battery functioning.
Kelvey Vander Hart is a native Iowan, a member of the American Conservation Coalition, and a communications specialist at Reason Foundation.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
