Timing mistakes
Some fleets run vehicles until batteries can no longer meet daily needs, then retire them all at once. By then many packs have degraded further than necessary, reducing second-life value, and the sudden volume strains storage and logistics.
Planning retirements from telematics data avoids this. Tracking state-of-health trends lets fleets retire packs while they still grade well and spread retirements over time so collection can be scheduled.
- Waiting for total failure instead of planning retirement
- Retiring large batches with no storage or collection plan
- Ignoring telematics data that shows degradation trends
Storage and safety mistakes
Retired packs are often parked in whatever space is available, sometimes still at high state of charge and without separation or detection. That combination turns a routine asset into a fire risk. Packs should be discharged below 30% state of charge, segregated by chemistry and condition, and stored in a ventilated area with suitable detection.
Damaged packs need particular care. Anything showing swelling, leakage, odour or a history of thermal events should be quarantined and declared before collection.
Commercial mistakes
Selling to the highest cash bidder without checking registrations can leave a fleet unable to prove compliance, and packs may end up dismantled unsafely. Always ask for registrations, downstream vendor disclosure and a recovery certificate.
Accepting a price based only on vehicle age or mileage often undervalues healthy packs. Measured module-level state of health is a far better basis, and it gives the fleet evidence to support its own residual value assumptions.
Field note