JLR repurposes car batteries for grid energy storage

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【Summary】Jaguar Land Rover plans to repurpose old car batteries as an energy storage system for the national grid. The batteries will be used to store excess power during off-peak times and release it back into the grid when needed. The scheme aims to provide enough batteries to power 750 homes for a day by the end of the year. The company believes that used batteries can still be reused due to their high standards and potential residual capacity of 70-80%.

FutureCar Staff Sep 02, 2023 9:45 AM PT

JLR repurposes car batteries for grid energy storage

The UK's largest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has unveiled plans to repurpose old car batteries for energy storage. JLR aims to create one of the largest energy storage systems in the country by using these batteries to store excess power during off-peak times.

During periods of low demand for electricity, such as when wind farms produce more power than needed, the excess energy can be stored in the batteries. When there is a demand for energy, the stored power can be released back into the national grid.

The battery scheme by JLR aims to provide enough batteries to power 750 homes for a day, equivalent to 7.5 megawatt hours of energy, by the end of this year. These batteries, which meet high standards, can be reused even when they no longer meet the requirements of electric vehicles.

The batteries will be stored in containers located in the Chelveston renewable energy park in Northamptonshire. JLR also plans to expand the program by creating more containers to house additional used batteries in the future.

JLR believes that the use of used batteries for energy storage can be further expanded in the coming years. According to a 2019 McKinsey report, the global value of used battery supply for energy storage could exceed $30 billion (£23.5 billion) by 2030, with an estimated annual capacity of over 200 gigawatt-hours.

Energy storage is seen as a solution to the problem of renewable electricity being generated but not being used due to grid constraints. By repurposing old car batteries, JLR demonstrates that electric vehicle batteries can have a second life even after they are no longer suitable for use in cars.

Colin Walker, the head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, highlighted the environmental benefits of recycling EV batteries. He stated that most of the metals in these batteries can be recycled, with only a small amount of material being lost. In contrast, a petrol car burns a significant amount of fuel throughout its lifespan.