With the number of electric vehicles (EVs) expected to surpass 245 million by 2030, the annual retirement of approximately 230 GWh of battery capacity could result in around 12 million tonnes of end-of-life batteries. To address this challenge, McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering is collaborating with software company MathWorks to extend battery life and reduce waste.
Leading the initiative is mechanical engineering assistant professor Ryan Ahmed, who also serves as the Deputy Director of the Center for Mechatronics and Hybrid Technologies (CMHT). In collaboration with MathWorks’ team in Novi, Michigan, Dr. Ahmed’s research group will develop advanced hybrid Artificial Intelligence (AI)and electrochemical models to optimize battery performance in both EVs (first life) and stationary applications (second life).
“The partnership between McMaster and MathWorks combines global expertise to advance battery innovation, driving the world toward a cleaner, greener and safer electrified future,” says Ahmed.
Addressing environmental challenges in EV
Decommissioned EV batteries still retain 70–80% of their original capacity so they can be repurposed in home energy storage systems or microgrids. This extends their lifespan and help reduce waste, contributing to a more sustainable energy ecosystem.
“This grant allows us to make a major leap toward our goals of enabling EVs to be safely charged as quickly as traditional vehicles, extending battery first-life in EVs and repurposing batteries for second-life applications,” says Dr. Ahmed.
MathWorks develops programs like MATLAB, Simulink and Simscape, which are engineering, simulation and Model-Based Design (MBD) tools. These are essential in the EV industry, particularly for battery development and management. The programs simulate battery behavior, to optimize performance and reduce physical testing, designing algorithms for state-of-charge (SoC) estimation, thermal management and fault detection, generates code for deploying Battery Management Systems (BMS) algorithms to real-time hardware and processes battery data to predict failures and improve designs.
“We are delighted for the opportunity to collaborate once again with McMaster University on these important topics in battery system development,” says Javier Gazzarri, Consulting Application Engineer at MathWorks. “The world-class experimental capabilities at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) and the extensive expertise of their faculty and students will be an invaluable complement to our battery modeling software functionalities.”
The collaboration will give Ph.D. and master’s students the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at the MARC, home to the CMHT. Students will gain expertise in battery modeling, electrochemistry, AI and Battery Management Systems (BMS). Travel support will enable them to share findings with international peers at leading conferences.
The team plans to build combined electrochemical and AI models to understand how batteries wear out over time, including processes like lithium plating and growth of the solid electrolyte interface in both their first and second lives. They will also develop “dual-life” battery management system algorithms to speed up charging, extend battery life and ensure safety.
The project officially began in January 2025, putting McMaster and MathWorks at the forefront of electric vehicle battery research and sustainability.