What changed in 2025 Rapid growth in utility and commercial storage continues, with annual deployments accelerating toward 2030. Data access and diagnostics improved. State of health assessment is faster and more reliable, which lowers risk for second life projects. Real projects at scale are landing. Repurposed electric vehicle packs are supporting microgrids and data centers, proving dependable performance in demanding use cases. Supply is unlocking faster than many expected Electric vehicle sales from the last decade are beginning to retire their first batteries. Multiple studies point to a very large pool of usable capacity arriving through the late 2020s. Several analyses indicate that by 2028 the volume of second life electric vehicle batteries could rival or surpass near term demand for short duration stationary storage. This is why planners now consider circular supply as a realistic input to procurement plans. How this compares with stationary demand Global stationary storage demand is rising quickly, yet the scale is still within reach of second life supply during the next few years. Benchmarks from energy agencies and market analysts point to several hundred gigawatt hours of stationary demand around 2030. That is close enough to make circular supply a strategic lever for buyers who want faster delivery and lower embodied emissions. Why circular batteries make commercial sense now Lower upfront cost per usable kilowatt hour for many commercial and industrial sites
