In-depth analysis of electric vehicles battery pack structure and disassembly procedure for the application of circular economy strategies

The battery pack is the most valuable component of the electric vehicle and its disassembly is the key process to recover the inner value of the product and apply circular economy strategies, from repair to recycling and remanufacturing. Different models of EV battery packs have been analyzed to assess criticalities in the product structure and disassembly procedure. Regardless the absence of a standardized design, some similarities can be identified and considered for the implementation of disassembly procedures. From the comparison of the disassembly procedures of four in-depth analyzed battery pack models emerged that it is possible to identify six disassembly blocks, grouped in two main disassembly stages. The first stage includes the disassembly of the battery covers, the coolant removal (in case of liquid cooling) and the service plug removal, while the second stage involves the removal of the junction block, the battery management system and the modules. The precedencies and criticalities in the execution of the six disassembly blocks were deeply analyzed and the results reported in the paper.