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Success stories from North Rhine-Westphalia

Voltfang GmbH – A second life for electric vehicle batteries

Batteries in electric vehicles are often replaced after three or four years. Although they still have considerable capacity, they are recycled prematurely – and sometimes even disposed of. The innovative Aachen-based startup Voltfang proves that there is another way . The company gives the batteries a second life , significantly improving their environmental footprint.

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The challenge

Electric mobility is booming. According to Statista, around 356,000 purely electric cars were registered in Germany in 2021, more than ever before. Registrations of purely electric cars also saw strong growth in the first six months of 2022. In addition, there are numerous plug-in hybrids. All these vehicles run on batteries. The problem: the negative environmental impact of battery production. This impact would only improve if a battery were used for as long as possible. However, many car manufacturers replace them after just a few years because the remaining capacity decreases over time. "There are a huge number of used electric vehicle batteries on the market that are no longer used in cars but are still functional," says Roman Alberti. For a long time, there were no buyers for them, so they were partly recycled and partly disposed of. "That's not what climate protection and resource efficiency look like," says the mechanical engineer from Aachen.

His approach – and that of Afshin Doostdar and David Oudsandji – was a “Second Life for Electric Vehicle Batteries.” This was the title of their joint master's thesis at RWTH Aachen University. And it's also the business idea with which the three Aachen natives launched their own company in 2019.

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  • Photos: Voltfang GmbH
  • Text: Lothar Schmitz, business journalist, Bonn
  • Publication date: November 2022

Alberti R., CEO Voltfang

“Our customers save on energy costs and, by using second-life batteries, make a significant contribution to resource conservation and thus to environmental and climate protection.”

The innovation

Their start-up is called "Voltfang," and the company name is quite literal: The three entrepreneurs and their now three dozen employees have set out to capture as much volts as possible, i.e., to prevent the life of electric vehicle batteries from ending prematurely, but to continue using the often enormous remaining capacity for many years to come, just for other purposes.

Voltfang purchases used battery packs from automotive companies such as Mercedes, Volvo, and e.GO. These must still have at least 85 percent of their original capacity . First, they undergo rigorous testing. "This is fundamental to our business model, which is why we invest a great deal of engineering expertise in testing," emphasizes Alberti. Using these used but still perfectly functioning battery packs, Voltfang then builds energy storage systems tailored to the individual requirements of its customers. These systems are optimized to maximize the lifespan of each individual battery. They are primarily used by companies that operate photovoltaic systems on the roofs of their offices or warehouses and want to use the generated energy themselves, even when the sun isn't shining.

Reference projects include an Aldi Nord branch in Gütersloh and a hotel in Steimbke, Lower Saxony. "Our customers save on energy costs and, by using second-life batteries, make a significant contribution to resource conservation and thus to environmental and climate protection," Alberti summarizes the advantages.

More about Voltfang
30
Employees
10
Partners
600
Salvaged battery modules

The NRW effect

A key success factor for a sustainable startup is location. In Voltfang's case, theconnections to North Rhine-Westphalia, and especially Aachen, are particularly strong, as the startup is a spin-off from RWTH Aachen University. This enabled Voltfang to win the RWTH's "Spinoff Award," an official accolade for outstanding spin-offs from the renowned university. "We remain closely connected to our university," says Alberti, citing the RWTH's "Incubation Program," in which Voltfang also participated, as an example. "The university gives us a tremendous boost," Alberti praises, "and at the same time, like the other universities in the region, it represents a huge pool of skilled professionals." Voltfang's offices are just 100 meters from RWTH. "We regularly have interns and student assistants," reports Alberti, "and we also collaborate with a course in the advanced study program."

The founders found support at digitalHUB Aachen. In addition to federal and European funding and private venture capital, Voltfang also benefited from state funding, specifically the NRW Founders' Grant. "NRW is a good keyword in general," says Alberti. Not only because of the extensive funding landscape, which includes, for example, the NRW Ministry of the Environment's "Special Program for Environmental Businesses," from which Voltfang also received funding. "But also because it's an excellent business location with countless medium-sized companies, practically all of which are currently undergoing a transformation process," explains the Voltfang CEO. "Therefore, NRW is also a huge market for us."

This success story of an innovative transformation was published in November 2022. No updates or reviews of the information have taken place since then.

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Transformation through innovation

Background of the publication series

The publication series “Transformation through Innovation” aims to illustrate how companies in North Rhine-Westphalia have been able to write successful innovation stories thanks to the framework conditions created by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

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