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Melbourne-based company to launch hybrid battery recycling program

Injectronics is looking to combat the single-use battery scourge with an innovative solution.


A Melbourne-based company will soon launch Australia's first scalable hybrid battery remanufacturing program in an effort to reduce single-use hybrid batteries nationwide.

After receiving a $103,000 grant from the Federal Government, Injectronics – a supplier of new and remanufactured automotive electronic components – plans to partner with automotive workshops to supply drivers with a more cost-effective, sustainable way to replace to their faulty battery.

The project – which will kick off in the coming months – will offer an aftermarket alternative to buying an entirely new battery, with Injectronics planning to amass a bank of remanufactured batteries ready to swap into Australia's steadily growing, ageing fleet of hybrid cars.

"The automotive industry has had limited hybrid battery remanufacturing support until now," said Gino Ricciuti, General Manager of IM Group (the parent company of Injectronics), at the launch of the project.

"Early hybrid batteries are underperforming and out of warranty... [and] retired batteries are going to landfill.

"Roughly 13,000 batteries needed changing last year and we expect to have 23,000 that need replacing annually by 2024. Currently, the only option is a brand new battery, for which the cost could be more than the vehicle itself is worth."

As a result, Injectronics' "circular economy" solution is to "remanufacture" existing units by – in simple terms – "taking used batteries, identifying which battery cells are usable and which aren't and creating a new pack altogether," Mr Ricciuti explained.

From April/May 2021, Injectronics will be able to supply workshops with remanufactured batteries that are 60-80 per cent lower in price compared to a brand new battery.

"We already have a bank of batteries ready for distribution and we have the capability to remanufacture a further 10 units a day, so we believe we can service the market," Mr Ricciuti said.

"At the moment our focus is on Toyota Camry and Prius, but we are already investigating other makes and models. When we are ready to open up further to the market, we envisage this will be a straightforward process."

Stuart Charity, CEO of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association, said at the project's launch that Injectronics would "provide fleet and car owners with a cost-effective way to replace a battery on the vehicle that has environmental benefits".

"There were a lot of experts that predicted when the car industry shut down a few years ago that would spell the total demise of automotive manufacturing and remanufacturing in Australia - how wrong they were," Mr Charity said.

While Injectronics is currently focused on servicing the aftermarket industry, but Mr Ricciuti foresees opportunities with car dealerships and possibly even manufacturers.

"[Currently] everything we do is reverse engineering, we survive on our own," he said, adding the company would be open to working with manufacturers if they came knocking.

Using roof-mounted solar panels, Injectronics will also endeavour to make the process neutral and "not heavily energy intensive" in order to not counteract the benefits of the upcycled batteries on the environment.

The grand plan is to open more facilities across Australia and eventually extend to New Zealand, with Injectronics also set to investigate other opportunities for remanufacturing and battery supply, like power storage.

Additionally, its focus will aim to extend its processes beyond the nickel-metal hydride hybrid batteries to the lithium-ion batteries found in the increasingly popular pure-electric cars.

Susannah Guthrie

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and two-year-old son.

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