Used battery pack? Yes, there are plenty available.

As stated in previous posts, we are in favor of an EV conversion approach that focuses on used components. But what about the availability of second hand parts, such as battery packs?

Well, it seems to us that supply still exceeds demand. Taking battery packs, we did some research to provide an overview on what is currently available (see diagram).

However, please keep in mind that in order to choose the right battery pack, you have to do some calculations first: What are your requirements in terms of power, range, and space, for example?

What we learned from our research:

• Listings often do not include information on mileage and on the State of Health of the battery. So, you need to enquire for this important information.
• In Europe many offers are from salvage firms located in the Baltic countries and in Great Britain. Whereas suppliers in the Baltics and in countries like Spain ship – sometimes for free – to customers in other European countries, most companies in Great Britain do not.
• The price per kWh differs widely depending on the location and on the brand: Leaf batteries tend to be expensive, Tesla batteries are very competitively priced, especially in the US.

In general, ebay provides a good overview on what is on the market. However, extend your search to other platforms and shops, especially in your region/country in order to source your pack from a supplier as close as possible to you.

Finally, consider searching for a complete donor car instead of individual components such as the battery pack. Normally this is the better option – you get more bang for your buck.

The following diagram lists a few of the battery packs available on ebay in selected markets as of September 27, 2023 (excluding shipping, 400 V DC system).

* n.a. = not available