DIY creator Chris Doel has taken on a project that’s equal parts clever engineering experiment and wake-up call: powering a small electric car using batteries recovered from disposable vapes.
In a recent video, Doel reveals how he built a homemade lithium-ion battery pack by salvaging cells from around 500 used vapes, then used that pack to run a compact 48V electric vehicle, the Reva G-Wiz. The goal wasn’t just to prove it could be done—it was to highlight the growing environmental and safety concerns around disposable vapes, especially as the number thrown away continues to soar. Doel points out that in the UK alone, more than one million vapes are discarded every day, leaving behind plastic waste and still-usable lithium batteries that often end up in the wrong place.
This isn’t Doel’s first time repurposing vape batteries for something bigger than a novelty build. He has previously created a fast-charging power bank, an e-bike battery pack, and a larger battery system intended for home backup power. For this EV experiment, he repurposed that larger pack, adapting it for automotive use.
To make the setup work with the G-Wiz, the build didn’t require a complete redesign of the car—but it did need some careful configuration. Doel used a roughly 50V battery pack to run the vehicle and made sure the car’s system wouldn’t demand more power than the pack could safely provide. One key step was reprogramming the inverter so it stayed within the battery’s limits, helping the car run reliably without overloading the DIY pack.
The results were surprisingly strong for a battery built from reclaimed cells. Doel reports the car achieved more than 17 miles (about 27 km) of range and reached a top speed of over 35 mph (around 56 km/h). Even when pushed, the battery pack stayed under 30°C (86°F), which is an encouraging sign for thermal control in a recycled-cell build. In terms of energy, the pack delivered 2.07 kWh of usable capacity from a theoretical 2.5 kWh.
Beyond the performance numbers, the project underscores a bigger point: disposable vapes aren’t just a litter problem—they’re also an electronics and battery waste problem. Doel’s build shows that many of these discarded devices still contain valuable cells, while also drawing attention to why better recycling systems, safer disposal habits, and smarter product design matter as vape use continues to rise.
