What happens to an electric vehicle battery when it is no longer fit for the road? In Africa, that question may hold the key to one of the continent’s most pressing challenges of energy access.

This was the focus of a recent webinar delivered by Dr. William Murithi, Circular Economy Powered Renewable Energy Centre (CEPREC) Kenya Chapter Lead, titled “From Drive to Grid: Circular Business Models for Second-Life EV Batteries in Africa.”

Moderated by Prof. Muyiwa Oyinlola, Professor of Innovation for Sustainable Development at De Montfort University, Leicester, the session explored how batteries retired from electric vehicles can be repurposed to strengthen Africa’s energy systems while tackling the growing burden of electronic waste.

Opening the session, Prof. Oyinlola framed the work of CEPREC within a broader ambition. “What we are doing is leveraging the principles of the circular economy to advance Africa’s energy transition,” he said. “Our approach is three-pronged, including creating new knowledge, building capacity, and enabling evidence-based policies.”

Dr. Murithi’s presentation spoke directly to why this work matters now. “Africa faces a triple challenge,” he explained. “We have a rapidly growing energy demand, limited grid reliability, and a rising flow of electronic waste.” Approximately 600 million Africans lack access to electricity, and even for those connected to the grid, power outages are a frequent occurrence. Businesses experience an average of nine outages per month. At the same time, millions of tonnes of e-waste enter the continent each year, much of it unmanaged.

Second-life EV batteries, Dr. Murithi argued, sit at the intersection of these challenges and opportunities. “End-of-life for EV batteries in vehicles does not mean end-of-life for energy systems,” he said. “When a battery is retired from mobility at around 70 or 80 per cent capacity, it still has significant value for stationary energy storage.”

Repurposed batteries can be deployed across a range of applications, including storing solar and wind power, stabilising mini- and microgrids, providing backup power for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and balancing electricity supply during peak demand. For businesses grappling with high energy costs, these systems could be game-changing.

“The battery system is often the most expensive component of renewable energy installations,” Dr. Murithi noted. “Second-life batteries can reduce system costs by 20 to even 50 per cent.”

But real impact depends on viable business models. Dr. Murithi highlighted three circular models with strong potential in Africa. The first, Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS), allows providers to retain ownership of batteries while leasing them to users. “This lowers the capital barrier for adoption and creates incentives for proper maintenance,” he explained. The second model integrates second-life batteries into community and utility microgrids, improving reliability while supporting rural electrification and industrial clusters. The third focuses on platforms and aggregation, pooling batteries through partnerships with global manufacturers to enable standardised testing, traceability, and scale.

Still, risks remain. Battery degradation, safety concerns, lack of standards, and investor uncertainty all pose barriers. “We cannot design risk management as an afterthought,” Dr. Murithi cautioned. Solutions, he said, must include battery health diagnostics, modular system design, technician training, blended finance, and performance-linked contracts. Equally critical is planning for the end of life. “Recycling pathways must be built in from the start,” he emphasized, pointing to the need for strong recycling partnerships and extended producer responsibility.

According to Dr. Murithi, Policy alignment will be decisive. “We need circular economy frameworks, battery reuse standards, and cross-border regulatory harmonisation,” Dr. Murithi said. “Africa has an opportunity to leapfrog.”

Dr. Murithi closed with a reminder that EV batteries are strategic energy assets, not waste. He believes with the right partnerships, policies, and circular business models, Africa could turn yesterday’s vehicle batteries into tomorrow’s energy backbone, moving decisively from drive to grid.

Article written by Stephen Wakhu