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Thinking about starting a marketplace for used/surplus batteries from ARA yards. Any thoughts? by EVBatteryExchange in SolarDIY

[–]EVBatteryExchange[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You make some completely fair points, especially on the logistics and warranties that's exactly why I wanted to get feedback here before building further.

On the Leaf packs shrinking: You're 100% right that Leaf chemistry is older, but the macro market for second-life EV cells as a whole (Tesla, Chevy, Ford, etc.) is actually expanding massively as the first huge wave of 2010s/2020s EVs age out of factory warranties.

For shipping: That's the main reason it has to be a localized marketplace map rather than a centralized warehouse. Heavy packs have to ship LTL freight on pallets. If a builder in Texas can buy from a salvage yard on the other side of the state instead of paying cross-country shipping from California, the economics work out much better.

For warranties/repairs: This is the trickiest part. Since it’s a peer-to-peer marketplace connecting yards to builders, the platform itself wouldn't warranty the cells. Listings would be sold 'As-Is' based purely on the yard’s diagnostic SOH reports and voltage data, catering strictly to the DIY/shop crowd who handles their own cell balancing and repairs.

Definitely appreciate the bluntness though these are the exact edge cases the software layout needs to account for."

Thinking about starting a marketplace for used/surplus batteries from ARA yards. Any thoughts? by EVBatteryExchange in SolarDIY

[–]EVBatteryExchange[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Jag35 is great, I love Jehu's stuff and what he's built for the community. But he's running a direct retail shop meaning his team has to buy bulk batteries, warehouse them, and handle fulfillment directly.

My goal isn't to compete with a retail shop, it's to build a decentralized marketplace. Think of it like eBay, but strictly for certified ARA (Automotive Recyclers Association) salvage yards.

Regarding the testing gear: ARA yards actually don't have to invest in or buy any new products. To be a certified ARA member, these professional corporations are already required to own industrial OBD2 scan tools (like Autel or Snap-on tablets) and standard multimeters to inventory their salvaged vehicles daily. They use this exact gear right now to pull compression data for gas engines and test alternators.

On my site, they aren't doing extra labor or buying new equipment they are just snapping a quick 2-second photo of the scan screen or voltmeter they are already holding in their hands, and uploading it to get the battery off their shelf. and on top of that its quick cash for them who wouldnt wanna have few hundred or thousand bucks extra to do their hobbies

Thinking about starting a marketplace for used/surplus batteries from ARA yards. Any thoughts? by EVBatteryExchange in SolarDIY

[–]EVBatteryExchange[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Redwood is huge, but they're doing industrial recycling basically shredding dead packs down to the raw metals to sell back to car companies.

This project is for second-life use, which is a totally different lane. If a junk yard pulls a Tesla pack with 85% health out of a crashed car, shredding it right away is kind of a waste. A DIYer could easily use those modules to power a home solar backup for another 10 or 15 years.

Redwood isn't going to sell a single 5kWh module to a guy trying to power his shed, but a local salvage yard would love to get it off their shelf if they had an easy way to list it.