🔋 Electromobility 2.0 – Beyond the battery hype

Why we can't just talk about reach now

The discussion about electromobility has changed fundamentally in recent years. In the past, the question of whether e-cars would prevail at all was raised, but today it has long been a question  of how we can make this transformation efficient, sustainable and suitable for the masses.

The euphoria about ever longer ranges and ever larger batteries has given way to a more differentiated debate. The focus is now on topics such as:

• Second-life and recycling concepts for batteries

• Solid-state batteries and new cell chemistries

• Charging infrastructure – both urban and along long-distance routes

• Grid stability and the role of e-vehicles in the energy system

• Sustainable battery cycles and recyclable material management

🚦 From "if" to "how": The new mindset

The fundamental decision in favor of electromobility has long been made in politics and industry. Gigafactories are being built everywhere, car manufacturers are adopting phase-out dates for combustion engines, and subsidy programs are driving the ramp-up.

But this brings new questions:

✅ How can we set up enough charging points?

✅ How do we secure access to raw materials?

✅ How do we avoid ecological downsides through battery production?

✅ How do we build a circular economy?

✅ How do we ensure that the power grid does not collapse?

The discussion has become more mature – and that's a good thing.

🔋 1. Second-life batteries and recycling – from waste to recyclable material

Every battery has its first life in the vehicle – with tough demands on performance and safety. But even if the range decreases, the cells are not useless.

Second-life approaches enable reuse, e.g. in stationary storage systems. Today, manufacturers and energy companies are testing numerous models in which decommissioned vehicle batteries:

• Compensate for power fluctuations

• serve as a buffer for solar systems

• Providing network services

This reduces the need for resources enormously – and reduces the CO₂ balance over the entire life cycle.

Recycling is the next step: the goal is to recover valuable raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, lithium and copper. Advances in hydrometallurgical and mechanical processes show that high recovery rates are achievable – and that dependence on primary mines can be reduced.

⚡ 2. Solid-state batteries and new cell chemistries – progress instead of just size

So far, range competition has mainly led to ever larger, heavier batteries. But this is not a sustainable way.

The research aims  to develop safer, lighter and more efficient batteries:

• Solid-state batteries promise higher energy densities and less risk of fire.

• Lithium-sulfur and sodium-ion technologies could reduce raw material dependencies.

• New recycling-friendly designs (Design for Recycling) become part of the development process.

These innovations are crucial to making electric mobility scalable and affordable – but they take time. That's why infrastructure and circular solutions are so important in parallel.

⚡ 3. Charging infrastructure – bottleneck or enabler?

One of the biggest obstacles to buying an e-car is still the concern about charging. This is not just about the absolute number of charging points, but about an entire ecosystem:

• Fast charging along long-distance routes (high-power charging) for long distances

• Normal charging in everyday life – in cities, neighbourhoods, at employers

• Intelligent load balancing to avoid overloading the power grid

Investments in charging infrastructure are not a "nice to have", but a prerequisite for market ramp-up. Countries with dense charging infrastructure show higher e-car rates. If you want the mobility turnaround, you have to solve the charging problem.

🌐 4. Grid stability and vehicle-to-grid – e-cars as part of the energy system

More e-cars mean more electricity consumption – that's clear. But they also offer opportunities:

✔️ With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies, vehicles can feed electricity back into the grid and thus absorb peak loads.

✔️ Fleets can serve as mobile storage facilities and integrate renewable energies more flexibly.

✔️ Smart Charging enables time-shifted charging at low grid load.

This makes electromobility not only a consumer, but also an active player in the energy system.

♻️ 5. Battery cycles – From dependence on raw materials to a circular economy

Europe is investing massively in its own cell production. But more importantly, how many times can we reuse the raw materials?

The vision:

• Batteries are designed in such a way that they can be easily disassembled and recycled.

• Automated recycling plants recover raw materials with high efficiency.

• Producers are responsible for the entire life cycle (Extended Producer Responsibility).

This not only reduces environmental impacts, but also geopolitical dependencies.

🔎 Table: Strategies for Electromobility 2.0 in Comparison

Approach	Advantages	Disadvantages / Challenges	Future viability (assessment)
Second-life batteries	- Reduce waste - Cost-effective stationary storage systems - Extend resource usage	- Limited residual capacity - Standardization needed - Logistics for collection and testing	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very future-proof: Essential building block of the circular economy
Recycling (mechanical / hydrometallurgical)	- Raw material recovery - Reduced environmental impact - Less dependence on imports	-Energy expenditure - High investments in plants - Recycling rates that can still be improved	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very future-proof: Will be pushed by regulation, potential for cost reduction
Solid-state batteries	- Higher energy density - More safety (less risk of fire) - Potential for reduced dependence on raw materials	- Currently high costs - Technical challenges in mass production	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Outstandingly future-proof: Gamechanger potential expected from around 2030
Sodium-ion batteries	- Fewer critical raw materials - Cheaper to produce - Robust in cold temperatures	- Lower energy density - Still little industrialized	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly future-proof: Supplement for storage systems and low-cost cars
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)	- Contribution to grid stability - Additional revenue for users - Integration of renewable energies	- Bidirectional chargers expensive - Regulatory hurdles - Network operators must follow suit	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very future-proof: Great importance for energy systems
High-Power Charging (Schnellladenetze)	- Reduces "range anxiety" - Enables long distances - User-friendly	- High grid connection costs - Network load - Profitability at weak locations questionable	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely important: backbone of everyday usability
Normal charging in everyday life	-Cheap - Grid-friendly for load management - Ideal for cities and employers	- Competition for space in urban areas - Need for smart planning - Secure access for all	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Indispensable: Basis for the mass market
Intelligent load management	- Grid relief - Use of favorable tariffs - Better integration of renewables	- Need for digitization - Customer acceptance necessary	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very future-proof: standard in future power systems
Batterie-Kreislaufwirtschaft (Design for Recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility)	- Systematic use of raw materials - Long-term cost reduction - Politically desired / promoted	- Coordination along the value chain - Initial investments	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ mandatory programme for sustainable mobility

⭐ Legend of future viability:

• ⭐⭐⭐ = sensible, but limited

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ = very important, major role foreseeable

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = indispensable / highly strategic

👉 Conclusion: Infrastructure beats reach

The mobility revolution will not be won by installing 1,000 km batteries in every car. It is obtained by:

✅ a resilient network of charging points

✅ a smart, grid-friendly integration

✅ Long-lasting, recyclable batteries

✅ an industrial ecosystem for second-life and recycling

✅ Advances in battery technology

Electromobility 2.0 means thinking about the entire cycle and making infrastructure the backbone of the system.

"Range anxiety is yesterday's problem. Today we ask: How do we make electric mobility sustainable for everyone?"

💬 Discussion question

👉 What do you think: Do we really need bigger batteries – or better infrastructure? What is the priority for you?