Sustainable battery design: Lean design for excellence as an enabler

Batteries play a crucial role in the transition to sustainable energy systems. Optimizing battery design for material and energy efficiency, durability, and recyclability is key to developing more sustainable solutions to support this change. This article outlines the process of creating a more efficient battery pack by focusing on improving material and energy use during production and end-of-life, through a Lean-based tool. The aim is to reduce impacts across the battery pack’s lifecycle, following the eco-design practices and standards by enhancing the durability of materials and components and simplifying their recovery and recycling. The improvements are being carried out within the scope of a European Project, which aims to enhance the durability of materials and components and make it easier to recover and recycle them. The Lean Design-for-eXcellence methodology was used to identify areas for potential improvement in the pack’s design, namely considering Design-for-Manufacturing, Design-for-Second Life, and Design-for-Recyclability. The results show potential opportunities to improve the efficiency of control, safety, mechanical, and electrical systems across different domains. Key areas for improvement that could significantly enhance overall system sustainability performance include reducing weight, optimizing coolant flow, and expediting disassembly and assembly processes.