Swapfiets x NOWOS Case Study wins award
The Pioneer Awards: Celebrating the doers
We are honored and excited to announce NOWOS's participation in the prestigious Solar Impulse Pioneers Forum & Pioneer Awards 2025. This event, championed by entrepreneur Bertrand Piccard, is a critical gathering for innovators delivering profitable solutions for environmental protection.
Piccard, a renowned Swiss adventurer and climate activist, who has circumnavigated the world in both a balloon and a solar-powered plane, devotes time and resources to encourage and recognize sustainable solutions.
The Solar Impulse Foundation gathered 350 innovators, corporates, investors and policymakers for the third Pioneers Forum at the Maison de la Poste in Brussels, with one clear goal: turning clean and profitable solutions into concrete action by connecting those who develop them with those who can implement them.
Case Study Pitch
During the event, NOWOS and Swapfiets pitched their case study on impact, taking home the mobility category prize.
Description
Swapfiets, a European leader in e-bike subscriptions, partnered with NOWOS to extend battery life through expert repair and reuse. Faced with rising maintenance costs and growing battery waste, Swapfiets adopted NOWOS's circular repair service. Faulty batteries are collected, diagnosed, and repaired using original parts, then returned to the fleet. This reduces waste, prevents downtime, and avoids unnecessary production of new batteries, supporting a sustainable and cost-effective business model in urban mobility.
Impact & Result
In 2024, 2,800 out of 4,000 Swapfiets batteries were repaired, saving ~140 tons of CO₂eq and ~9.3 tons of lithium ore. With €160 saved per repair, this resulted in €448,000 in cost savings and immediate ROI. The solution reduces downtime, waste, and raw material use, demonstrating the economic and environmental value of circular battery management.
Solution Spotlight
Battery Life Extension by NOWOS is a solution that gives lithium-ion batteries a second life by expertly repairing, reusing, and tracking them instead of replacing them. This approach reduces waste, conserves raw materials like lithium, and supports a circular economy. With certified processes and pan-European logistics, NOWOS ensures safe, compliant, and sustainable battery lifecycle management for businesses in mobility, logistics, energy storage, and beyond.
