Research On Recycling And Gradient Utilization Strategies For Electric Vehicle Battery From A Supply Chain Perspective

In response to the challenges of energy depletion and climate change,electric vehicles have emerged as one of the most attractive alternatives to traditional fossil fuel vehicles worldwide.However,the rapid rise of the electric vehicle industry has led to a significant issue of retired batteries,and the recycling and gradient utilization of retired batteries are ideal solutions to solve this problem.This paper combines the recycling of retired batteries with gradient utilization,taking into account factors such as channel selection,product sales-and-leasing,information traceability,and supply chain cooperation.It focuses on researching the recycling decisions and gradient utilization strategies of retired batteries from the perspective of the supply chain.The aim of the paper is to provide operational management and policy recommendations for governments and relevant companies.Specifically,the main research contents of this paper are summarized as follows:The study centers on the channel strategies in the supply chain of electric vehicles for battery recycling and gradient utilization.Unlike previous literatures focusing on channel structure and recycling competition,this paper considers the sales competition between direct and retail channels.By constructing a Stackelberg game model under three channel strategies-the retailer providing recycling service,the third-party recycler offering recycling service and both of them simultaneously providing services,the paper explores the manufacturer’s channel selection strategy and the decision on the service level of the recycling channels.Additionally,it analyzes the impact of different channel strategies and key parameters on supply chain performance.The research findings indicate that manufacturer should comprehensively consider the impact of government subsidies and recycling service cost coefficient when choosing channel strategies,in order to effectively promote the expansion of the electric vehicle market.Moreover,recycling competition does not always effectively drive the improvement of recycling service levels,and it is also necessary to take the manufacturer’s cost coefficients for outsourced recycling into account.Compared to multi-channel strategy,single-channel strategies result in higher profit levels for supply chain members.However,the increasing recycling service cost coefficient has different degrees of negative impact on manufacturers and retailers,posing a threat to consumer interests.In summary,automotive manufacturers should focus on enhancing technology related to electric vehicle battery recycling and gradient utilization,while making reasonable channel strategy choices in accordance with market conditions.The study centers on the sales-and-leasing strategies for battery recycling and gradient utilization in the supply chain of electric vehicles.This paper explores the specific issue of high-quality electric vehicle battery remanufacturing in the context of recycling and addresses the research gap concerning pricing strategies for gradient utilization products.By constructing a Stackelberg game model for the marketing of gradient utilization products,the study investigates the optimal pricing decisions for the battery recycler and the gradient remanufacturer under three strategies-selling,leasing,and hybrid sales-and-leasing.It explores the conditions for implementing different gradient utilization product strategies and their impact on the optimal decisions within the supply chain.Additionally,the extended model incorporates two gradient utilization product leasing modes-fixed-term leasing mode and time-based leasing mode.The research findings indicate that,when considering the expansion of the gradient utilization product market,the selling strategy S outperforms the other three strategies.Moreover,the quality level of retired batteries significantly influences the profitability of the battery recycler.Higher-quality battery levels lead the recycler to prefer leasing strategy L and the hybrid strategy SL.For the gradient remanufacturer,the hybrid strategy SL remains the optimal choice regardless of battery quality levels.Lastly,the overall performance of the supply chain is determined by the combination of battery quality levels and current product strategies.In conclusion,businesses operating in this domain should tailor their product strategies in accordance with current market conditions to achieve optimal alignment with market demand and maximize supply chain profitability.The study centers on the traceability strategies for battery recycling and gradient utilization in the supply chain of electric vehicles.In contrast to prior literature,this paper closely integrates traceability with the battery recycling and gradient utilization of electric vehicles.By constructing three strategies—without traceability,forward traceability,and forward-reverse traceability—within a Stackelberg game model,the study investigates the manufacturer’s optimal decision on recycling efforts and the optimal pricing decisions for both manufacturer and retailer.It explores the conditions under which the manufacturer adopts traceability strategies and assesses the effectiveness of these strategies in promoting the sales of electric vehicles as well as the recycling and gradient utilization of electric vehicle batteries.Furthermore,the research extends to examine the interaction between government subsidies and information traceability,and their impact on supply chain performance and optimal decision-making.The research findings indicate that,when the manufacturer selects traceability strategies,he must take operational costs into account to ensure the attainment of optimal profits.For the retailer and the consumers,their interests are determined by both the operational costs of traceability technology and the costs associated with establishing a battery recycling and gradient utilization system.Additionally,under forward traceability strategy,consumer subsidy scheme leads to higher levels of social welfare,while manufacturer subsidy scheme is more effective under forward-reverse traceability strategy.For the overall supply chain,the adoption of traceability strategies depends not only on the operational cost of the technology but also on the manufacturer’s capacity to build a recycling and gradient utilization system.The study centers on the optimization strategies for two electric vehicle manufacturers collaborating to establish the battery recycling and gradient utilization networks.Distinguishing itself from prior literature primarily focused on investigating supply chain network layout issues,this paper delves deeper into the integration of electric vehicle battery recycling and gradient utilization network optimization with cross-chain collaboration.By constructing a Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming(MINLP)network model aimed at cost minimization and employing the Lagrangian relaxation algorithm,the study seeks to find optimal network designs under three strategies-without cooperation,partial across-network cooperation,and full acrossnetwork cooperation.It explores the cost implications and environmental benefits trends in building battery recycling and gradient utilization networks by two electric vehicle manufacturers under different cooperation strategies.Finally,from the perspectives of enterprises,government,and the upgrading cost due to cooperation,the paper further analyzes the influence of key parameters on the optimal layout and cost of battery recycling and gradient utilization networks.The research findings reveal several important insights.From the perspective of cost minimization,cross-chain collaboration strategies significantly reduce costs and enhance environmental benefits,making them the ideal solution for the two manufacturers to jointly construct battery recycling and gradient utilization networks.From the standpoint of fostering collaboration,setting moderate levels of processing cost coefficients is conducive to promoting cooperation and reducing cost expenditure.Government punitive measures do indeed have a positive impact on the construction of battery recycling and gradient utilization networks.However,such non-market actions can reduce the likelihood of collaboration between the two manufacturing enterprises.This paper delves into the critical strategic issues surrounding battery recycling and gradient utilization in the supply chain of electric vehicles,which encompass channel strategies,sales-and-leasing strategies,and traceability strategies.Furthermore,it goes on to explore an optimization model for collaboration between two electric vehicle manufacturers in the construction of battery recycling and gradient utilization networks.The research findings presented in this paper not only contribute to the expansion of theoretical insights in the domain of electric vehicle battery recycling and gradient utilization but also furnish valuable decision-making guidance and managerial insights for the advancement of the electric vehicle industry.