5:08 pm, July 9, 2024
Battery health is a buzzword currently circulating the automotive world, with calls from all sides of the industry demanding greater transparency on not just the raw material make-up and associated emissions of new batteries, but a standardised report on the state of EV batteries once they reach resale point.
‘We have 100 years of experience [with ICE vehicles] and we know that a car with 1000,000 miles and three years of age has a specific price range. And we know you can sell it in a very narrow price range,’ Dr Marcus Berger, CEO of Aviloo told us during our most recent Car Dealer Live interview (above).
‘With used EVs, things are totally different. Age and mileage won’t tell you anything about battery health,’ he added.
The fact of the matter is, charging behaviour, ambient temperatures, driving behaviour and even the state of charge when an EV is parked all have an impact on the battery condition, which is why Aviloo has developed specific, software-enabled tests that it feels will benefit car dealers, leasing companies, de-fleeting firms and auction houses in the long run.
‘Consumers want to have proof that when they buy a used EV, the battery is in good shape, but it’s the obligation of car dealers, leasing companies and the car companies themselves to prove the quality of the battery,’ Dr Berger says.
‘That’s why we are working with a lot of car dealers and a lot of leasing companies in Europe to support them in re-marketing their used EVs,’ he adds.
In terms of major players, Aviloo has been working alongside Hyundai, an automaker that Dr Berger claims was one of the first to understand the ‘value of providing independent battery certificates’.
As a result, all of Hyundai’s German car dealers can now use Aviloo’s technology, which includes a rapid Flash test that doesn’t require a test drive, to create on-the-spot battery reports as part of the South Korean carmakers wider certified battery programme.
Arval, one of the largest European vehicle leasing companies, has also been making use of the tech, as Dr Berger says the company wants to sell quickly and ‘at the highest price they can achieve’.
‘An EV’s battery is more or less the most valuable thing and I believe any buyer needs to understand its state of health,’ he explained.
More recently, Aviloo’s Flash Test technology has been officially recognised by CARA, which provides approved certification to battery health check schemes, as well as offering what Aviloo dubs ‘the most comprehensive battery test on the market’ with its Premium Battery Test.
‘I think these will play a major role in [developing the industry], as these tests will be a substantial improvement of our battery tests,’ explains Dr Berger.
Currently, the Flash tests give an overall state of health score described as a percentage of the battery’s original 100 per cent figure.
Now, thanks to Aviloo collecting a wealth of data on all manner of electric vehicles, the company is able to give customers a relative assessment and explain how that Flash score compares to similar cars on the market.
‘We are going to compare the result of one specific car against a peer group, which includes cars of same model, the same age or the same mileage, and we are going to tell you if that’s actually a good state of health.
The result? Aviloo thinks dealers, auction houses and leasing firms will be able to charge a premium for those top performing EV batteries, but more importantly, create a ‘functioning used EV market’ that works for everyone.
