The paper provides visual representations of the necessary interactions and collaborations among companies in the EV battery ecosystem to effectively implement the proposed business model archetypes. This research contributes to the theory of circular business models in general, with specific relevance to EV battery circularity. 1. Introduction
Achieving battery circularity is crucial for meeting the targets of net-zero emission vehicles by 2030 and enabling climate-neutral transportation by 2050. To facilitate this transition, firms operating in the electric vehicle (EV) battery ecosystem must reassess their value creation, capture, and delivery methods.
Battery circularity maximizes value from retired electric vehicle batteries. New circular business models (CBMs) are needed in the battery ecosystem. The study outlines 3 main archetypes and 8 sub-archetypes of CBMs. The main CBM archetypes include extending, looping, and sharing. The study details collaboration forms for diverse battery CBMs.
Wrålsen et al. (2021) utilized the Delphi method to propose three circular business models that exhibit the highest potential for batteries: 1) remanufacture + reuse + recycle + waste management, 2) product life extension through durable design, update services, remanufacture, and 3) resource recovery of discarded materials.
Although EV battery second life presents a promising solution for circularity, many vehicle manufacturers and stakeholders in the battery ecosystem struggle to adapt their organizations internally and externally due to a lack of insights into suitable circular business models.
The second phase (Phase II) delved into detailed discussions regarding the design of CBM archetypes and validated these archetypes for EV battery circularity with the participation of five selected companies from the EV battery ecosystem.