The development and implementation of sustainable technologies requires a comprehensive understanding of their impact on economic, environmental, and societal aspects.

TEAMING has identified a requirement to integrate LCA with SOH assessment methods along the powertrain – research towards this goal will be a central component of the project.

The battery field is observing an exponential increase in End-of-Life (EOL) battery packs fit for 2nd life applications. Enhanced SOH diagnostics will increase the usability and lifetime of these battery packs in both 1st and 2nd life applications.

One of the key components of TEAMING is the identification of hotspots in the lifecycle of a technology.

By doing so, it becomes possible to direct technological development towards areas that require the most improvement.

To achieve this, the contribution of each sub-system to the overall lifecycle impact of the powertrain must be assessed. This includes measuring cost, critical material use, environmental impact, societal impact, and CO2 emissions, while also considering source country regulations.

A dual approach is used in TEAMING that combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). By researching different scenarios, it is possible to satisfy both economic and environmental criteria, particularly in the context of potential second-life applications.

Sensitivity analysis is used to identify the most impact-intensive processes and value chains. While LCA is limited to environmental impacts, LCC can take into account the societal benefits of sustainable technologies.

Finally, TEAMING considers the SOH of each technology, which is dependent on the contribution of the use, manufacturing, and end-of-life (EoL) phases to the life cycle impacts (LCA).

By understanding the impact of each phase, it becomes possible to design technologies and optimal system operating strategies that lead to a longer lifespan and contribute less to the overall environmental impact.