Stellantis is expanding its work in repurposing high-voltage electric vehicle batteries, known as second-life batteries, to support a circular economy for resources, components and materials.
One of the newest applications of this strategy powers AVATHOR ONE, an electric medical device designed to improve mobility for people who use wheelchairs or have reduced mobility.
AVATHOR ONE integrates repurposed battery modules supplied through a partnership with INTENT S.r.l., a Turin-based system integrator. SUSTAINera, the Stellantis business unit dedicated to circular economy solutions, collects end-of-life batteries from electric vehicles in the Turin area. INTENT then disassembles the original 15 kWh modules, repacks them into new 1.4 kWh or 2.8 kWh units, and integrates an optimized battery management system. The compact, modular design provides flexible range options for the AVATHOR ONE platform.
Development of AVATHOR ONE also involved close collaboration with Avathor, a startup focused on advanced electric medical devices and shared mobility services, and Italdesign, whose expertise in design and engineering helped transform the concept (initially presented as WheeM-i in 2019) into a market-ready product. The device was launched in April and exhibited by Italdesign at Expo 2025 Osaka. It will next appear at the Salone Auto Torino, where Italdesign will showcase its latest innovations.
Under SUSTAINera’s program, retired high-voltage batteries undergo extensive testing and qualification before being repurposed for non-automotive applications. Beyond medical mobility devices, the unit is collaborating with utility partners and battery integrators to develop large-scale energy storage solutions. Notably, second-life batteries are used in ENEL X’s PIONEER project at Rome Fiumicino Airport, currently Italy’s largest and one of Europe’s biggest installations. Since June, this system has been storing renewable energy to reduce the airport’s CO₂ emissions by an estimated 16,000 tons over ten years.
Stellantis’s SUSTAINera unit continues to invest in second-life battery activities, which have grown significantly over the past three years. Alongside reuse and repurposing, the program includes remanufacturing, repairing and, ultimately, recycling, delivering a comprehensive circular approach across all stages of the battery lifecycle.
