Concept 2 of 2
SECONDLIFE: a powertrain with several lives
The SECONDLIFE concept builds reliable, low-cost EV powertrains from refurbished and reused components: a refurbished EV battery and e-motor, reused magnets and remanufactured bearings, assembled into a powertrain with a reasonable remaining lifetime at a fraction of the cost.
Every reused component is a component that does not need to be manufactured from newly mined materials, which cuts both vehicle cost and critical raw material consumption.
One loop, two lives
Healthy components move from a retired powertrain to a new one: certified, reassembled, at lower cost.
From one life to the next
First life ends
A powertrain retires
At the end of its first vehicle life, the powertrain still contains components with plenty of value left.
Assessment
Health check with real data
State-of-health data and the Digital Product Passport tell exactly what each component can still deliver.
Recovery
Healthy components recovered
Rare earth magnets, battery modules and e-motor components are extracted and requalified.
Remanufacture
Refurbished and rebuilt
The e-motor and storage system are refurbished, bearings are remanufactured.
Second life
A new powertrain, at low cost
The components are reassembled into a reliable powertrain with a reasonable remaining lifetime, and the loop restarts.
Key innovations
- Reused rare earth magnets
- Refurbished e-motor & storage system
- Remanufactured bearings
- Digital Product Passport for traceability
- Smart, predictive maintenance
Trust through traceability
A powertrain made of remanufactured components is only viable if its history is known and trusted. SECONDLIFE relies on the Digital Product Passport and real state-of-health data to certify what each reused component can still deliver.
The first RELiVE concept, LONGLIFE, designs vehicles whose components last dramatically longer in first life.
Discover LONGLIFE →Frequently asked questions
- What is the SECONDLIFE concept?
- SECONDLIFE is one of the two RELiVE vehicle concepts: a reliable, low-cost EV powertrain built from refurbished and reused components, with a reasonable remaining lifetime at a fraction of the cost.
- Which components get a second life?
- Reused rare earth magnets, a refurbished e-motor and storage system, and remanufactured bearings.
- How can reused components be trusted?
- Through traceability: the Digital Product Passport documents each component's history, and real state-of-health data certifies what it can still deliver.