Smart charging stations using recycled batteries for cities

Urban mobility systems are increasingly strained by high levels of private car use, contributing to congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. While e-bikes and e-scooters offer a cleaner alternative, their adoption is often limited by insufficient charging infrastructure in public and semi-public spaces. At the same time, large volumes of lithium-ion batteries reach end-of-life each year, creating growing environmental and resource challenges. These batteries are often underutilised in their second life or prematurely recycled, despite retaining significant residual capacity. Without effective reuse pathways, valuable materials and embedded energy are lost, contributing to unnecessary waste generation. Cities, therefore, face a dual challenge: enabling scalable electric micromobility infrastructure while also addressing the environmental impact of battery waste and improving resource efficiency within energy storage systems.

To address these challenges, rEcharge has developed a modular charging station system that integrates recycled lithium-ion battery packs and connects to existing urban infrastructure such as streetlight poles. This enables rapid deployment without the need for extensive new grid connections or construction. The system uses next-generation IoT connectivity, including narrowband communication technologies, to enable real-time monitoring, energy management, and provisioning. This allows operators to optimise usage, track performance, and ensure efficient distribution of stored energy across charging points.

By utilising repurposed battery cells, the system stores and supplies energy during peak usage periods while promoting fair consumption practices through controlled power delivery after initial charging periods. This extends battery lifespan and improves overall system efficiency while reducing reliance on newly manufactured storage systems.

rEcharge delivers measurable environmental benefits by enabling the reuse of over 85% of discarded lithium-ion batteries, significantly reducing e-waste and preventing them from ending up in landfills. This directly supports circular resource flows in battery systems and reduces pressure on raw material extraction. In terms of climate impact, the project has already enabled the reuse of more than 120,000 batteries, preventing over 750,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions associated with battery production. These savings are achieved through both material reuse and reduced demand for newly manufactured batteries.

The solution also improves resource efficiency by recovering and reusing individual battery cells, optimising the use of embedded materials and extending product lifetimes. Combined with expanded e-bike and e-scooter charging infrastructure, this supports modal shifts away from private cars, reinforcing broader urban decarbonisation goals.