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The great battery bust up: Repair or throw-away
When
Saturday 12 September 2026
12:00 - 13:30
Where
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
22-26 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ
View directions on Google Maps
Format
In-person
Access
Wheelchair access, Wheelchair accessible toilets
Age
Suitable for ages 16+
Cost
Free to book
About this event
How electric vehicle batteries are built, where their materials come from and what happens when they fail
Electric vehicles are an increasingly familiar sight on our roads, helping us move away from fossil fuels. But what happens when these batteries start to fail?
These vehicles are powered by lithium-ion battery packs made up of many individual battery cells. However, in many current designs, if a small number of cells fail, it can be hard to repair the battery pack by simply replacing the affected parts.
So, what does this mean for the environment?
In this hands-on Curious workshop, explore what electric vehicle batteries are made from, where those materials come from, and how better battery design could make repair and reuse easier in the future.
What you’ll do
Build: Working with large 3D printed batteries, see how batteries are assembled in electric vehicle packs.
Map: Using a world map and tokens, trace the journey of battery and pack materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, their reserves and why supply and sustainability matters today.
Bust up: Finally, try a short, timed repair challenge compare a “sealed” pack design with a new repair-friendly design.
No prior knowledge is needed. The workshop is designed for curious minds of all backgrounds and uses hands-on activities in small groups to explore the future of battery technology and its environmental impact.
Tickets go live on Thursday 23 July at 11am.
Event type
Curious
Workshop
Contributors
Amer Syed
Senior Lecturer in Design, Institute for Materials and Processes, The University of EdinburghWORKSHOP FACILITATOR
Amer is a Senior Lecturer within the Institute for Materials and Processes, School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. He is a material scientist with interests in how materials behave, deform and fail and this behaviour at microscale links with the deformation and damage of large structures. As part of Royal Society of Edinburgh funded project titled To B or not to B: The dilemma of reusable battery packs Amer is trying to address the question: how can the materials and manufacturing process of Electric Vehicles battery packs can be designed to make them easy to repair and extend operational life to reduce waste.
Contact us
If you have an event enquiry, please email us on public_engagement@theRSE.org.uk.Event testimonial
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What is Curious?
Curious is the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) free festival that celebrates the research, ideas and knowledge shaping society today.
Each year, Curious brings a packed programme of free in-person and online events covering themes from the arts, humanities, policy, science and more. To date, we’ve welcomed over 10,000 attendees for talks, workshops, exhibitions and discussions where you can learn from and speak with Scotland’s leading thinkers. As part of the RSE’s mission to make knowledge useful and accessible for everyone, Curious is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them. No specialist knowledge is needed, just bring your curiosity.
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