Nissan & Eaton Partner For Second-Life Battery Energy Storage Ambitions

The energy management company Eaton has partnered with Nissan in order to work on second-life electric vehicle energy storage solutions, according to recent reports.

The partnership will see the lithium-ion batteries used in Nissan’s electric vehicles (EVs) put to use in energy storage applications after their “first life” has ended — that is to say, following their replacement in the EVs in question.

Automotive World provides more:

The partnership will focus on creating commercially viable energy storage and control centres that will provide a sustainable ‘second life’ for Nissan’s lithium-ion batteries after their automotive usage.

…The first module to be deployed will combine second-life LEAF batteries with Eaton’s uninterruptable power supply (UPS) technology and solar PV to create a stand-alone energy storage and control package that will allow customers to manage energy consumption and supply, whilst connected to, or independent of, the grid. The storage and control module will offer an affordable, long-term method for harnessing clean energy, further facilitating the deployment of renewable energy and increased grid stability and efficiency.

Nissan Global’s Electric Vehicle Director, Robert Lujan, commented: “The batteries as power storage units far outlast the typical life of a car. In order to bring a commercially viable solution to the market, it requires not only the battery expertise of Nissan, but also the experience in power management, control and integration that Eaton offers. This partnership is the first step in delivering a real world system for our customers in the near future.”

Going on: “Having produced our own batteries, at our leading manufacturing sites worldwide, for many years; we will now be able to expand the life of our automotive batteries therefore reducing the need to use additional resources from the planet to produce new batteries.”