Forward-looking: The push for renewable energy has made lithium one of the most in-demand materials in modern supply chains, so it’s unsurprising that people would look for ways to recycle it. One person has found new uses for the small lithium-ion batteries vape users throw away every day, and plans to eventually share his knowledge.
A father and son pair in England have successfully used hundreds of old vape batteries to charge a smartphone and build an e-bike battery. The process was complex and labor-intensive, but a guide to simplify the process may be available soon.
The project began after software engineer Mark Hopgood’s original e-bike broke down and the repair shop told him it would be cheaper to buy a new one for around £1,200 ($1,533). Instead, he found another solution.
Hopgood purchased a traditional bicycle, fitted it with a motorized wheel, and began testing the roughly 200 discarded vape batteries that his son, Ned, had collected over the previous year. The lithium-ion batteries powering vape pens are based on the same fundamental technology as the batteries in e-bikes and electric vehicles, enabling the Hopgoods to eventually convert them. The batteries had previously successfully charged Mark’s phone and music equipment, but using them for a motorized vehicle would be a new, riskier endeavor.
Mark diligently checked 70 of them to ensure their compatibility and safety, as compatibility complications can make lithium-ion batteries highly dangerous. E-bike chargers have caused hundreds of fires over the last few years, many of them deadly.
After matching their specifications, Mark arrayed the batteries in strips, creating a homemade energy source that could propel an e-bike up to 15mph – the maximum legal speed for an e-bike in the UK. The engineer believes that the even distribution of power among the strips prevented the cells from overheating.
A “stage two” design with a proper battery casing is currently in development. Mark aims to ultimately publish blueprints to help others recycle vape pens and potentially other lithium-ion batteries.
Although the technology has become a cornerstone of modern electronics and electric transportation, the difficulty in sourcing the necessary components and manufacturing the batteries has made lithium controversial. Chinese EV manufacturers have demonstrated that Sodium-ion (salt) might be a viable successor, but other bases like water, sand, zinc-bromine, or liquid metal might also prove usable.
Image credit: The Independent
