VRA meeting to focus on EV battery health checks

The Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) will discuss battery health checks and their impact on the used EV market in depth at a member meeting on 25 July.

At Cox Automotive (Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire), members will hear contributions from battery health experts Aviloo, Altellium and Clearwatt, as well as the results of a VRA survey on the best way to apply battery health checks to the remarketing process.

VRA chair Philip Nothard said: “We know that used car and van buyers have serious concerns about the possibility of battery degradation and failure when they consider an EV, and battery health checks are the best potential solution to allaying those fears.

“We’ll really be drilling down into the subject at this meeting, looking at the pros and cons of the different technologies available, practical issues such as when and where tests are needed, how to present the information produced to trade and retail buyers, and the potential impact on vehicle values.

“This is a subject that we know our members want to know more about and that reliable, impartial information is not always easy to obtain, so we’re expecting a high level of attendance.”

In addition, Robin Brundle of Recyclus will provide a briefing on EV battery recycling, handling and logistics.

A discussion about the impact of the general election result on remarketing will also take place.

Nothard added: “Whatever the outcome of the election, there will be implications for remarketing both in direct policy terms affecting areas such as transport and electrification, and in a wider sense when it comes to the economy and consumer confidence.

“We’re assembling a panel who will be able to speak authoritively on all of these issues.”