Navigating the emergence of circular ecosystems for electric vehicle battery second life: Prerequisites and pathways in firm- and ecosystem-level interactions

Firms require multi-stakeholder ecosystems to successfully create and implement circular business models for electric vehicle (EV) battery second life. However, there is a notable absence of guiding instruments to assist EV battery ecosystem actors in formulating and managing strategies for battery second-life operations. This study's aim is to analyze how circular ecosystems are formed and managed, considering the interplay between firm-level and ecosystem-level interactions. The study identifies 17 prerequisites divided into four stages of circular ecosystem management, considering the interplay between firm- and ecosystem-level aspects, as well as short- and long-term perspectives. These four stages of circular ecosystem management are firm-level assessment, ecosystem formation, firm-level adaptation, and ecosystem orchestration. Based on these four stages, the study identifies three distinct pathways through which EV battery ecosystem actors can effectively form and manage second-life operations. Additionally, a decision tree model is proposed to navigate ecosystem actors through these four stages for enabling battery second-life operations. This research makes a valuable contribution to the field of ecosystem management and circular ecosystems, specifically by examining the interplay between firm-level and ecosystem-level dynamics within the context of EV battery second-life operations. The findings hold significance for both academic researchers and practitioners seeking to implement and scale-up circular business models and circular ecosystems in the realm of EV batteries.