Giving old batteries a new lease of life

Local firm's charger can boost conservation and recycling, and benefit electric vehicle industry
Lester Kok Straits Times 4 Sep 10;

RECHARGING batteries too often can cause them to die after a while.

But a new charger invented by a local start-up can extend batteries' shelf life by juicing them up differently from other chargers.

The product, on sale for $85 at Bliss Computer Trading in Sim Lim Square, can also charge normal alkaline and dry-cell batteries fully in an hour.

This is unlike other chargers on the market which require special rechargeable batteries and take up to four hours for a full charge.

Battizer, which started in March, used the same technology to develop a quick charger for electric vehicles (EVs).

It then took its vehicle charger to FTD Technology, the local distributor of India-made Ampere electric scooters.

In the test, the scooters' batteries were charged fully in just one hour, a fraction of the normal four to eight hours taken with the normal charger.

Mr Johnny Lai, sales manager of FTD Technology, said it was amazed by the results, as initially it was 'sceptical about the technology'.

'However, after repeated testing, we were convinced. The charging time is shortened, the battery remains cool while charging and the e-scooter's performance is much better than before,' he said.

Mr Lai said this quick-charging innovation is critical for EVs, especially in countries like India and Indonesia, where electrical supply can be disrupted at any time. He added that as EVs require more energy, the capacity of batteries will need to increase, which would then lengthen the charging time - so Battizer's innovation could be a solution.

Professor Lu Li, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore, said the quick-charge duration will be a boon to the electric vehicle industry.

'If the batteries for EVs can be charged as fast as pumping petrol, EVs can be used without hesitation.'

The two founders of Battizer, Mr Jeremy Yap and Mr Alvin Tan, started out in the battery industry in 2005, when they were contacted by the United States company Battery Doctors and asked to operate battery servicing in Asia.

Mr Tan, who is in charge of marketing, said they have sold more than 8,500 charging sets since the launch at the end of April.

Local aviation engineer Ong Sze Tiong had bought a set out of curiosity after reading about them in The Straits Times.

'I have to admit that after using the charger, I have no complaints about it. It is fantastic and unbelievable,' he said.

Sales are coming in steadily for the chargers, especially from developing countries like Thailand and the Philippines.

Mr Tan said this was because shop owners in the Philippines had purchased multiple chargers, so they can recharge used batteries and resell them at low prices.

'The people (there) cannot afford the charger but they are willing to buy recharged alkaline batteries because they are cheaper than new ones,' Mr Tan added.

He also said that more public awareness and education about recharging used batteries is needed in Singapore, to promote the habit of recycling and help conserve the environment.

In 2008, while running their first company, Battery Doctors Asia, Mr Yap and Mr Tan toured local schools, conducting recycling programmes to collect used batteries, then recharging them and giving them to charities.

They will be restarting the recycling project again later this year.

Despite the benefits of the new charger, not everyone welcomes it.

After a demonstration of their battery charger prototype to a major battery manufacturer in Indonesia, both Mr Yap and Mr Tan were told to leave, as their charger might cause many factory workers to lose their jobs.

Associate Professor Choo Fook Hoong, from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, said the battery industry will be affected, with lower sales in the short term since normal batteries can now be used many times before disposal.

However, he added: 'In the long term, more products will be designed to exploit the convenience and lower costs of batteries in the long run. Consumers would probably utilise their gadgets and equipment more often.'

Prof Choo also said that recharging used batteries is a form of recycling, which is needed for 'sustainability, because demand for batteries will rise again to a new steady-state'.

Prof Lu, on the other hand, thinks that the battery industry will not be affected much as the take-up rate of the charger depends on its price and the battery usage of the consumers.

'Let's take the remote control, for example. Normally, you change the batteries once a year or even two years, which would cost one or two dollars. How many people think it is worth paying much more for a charger?' he said.