Leaving behind the open road no longer marks the end for used car batteries. Retirement options include storing power from solar and wind farms.
. But to many in the industry, reuse still feels like a fantastical science experiment, one that might end up in the dustbin of fabulous ideas that didn’t quite work out.Photograph: Phuc Pham
There are technical issues, too. Before you can reuse an EV battery, you have to know how much juice it retains and whether it’s worthy of a second life. “Evaluating the health of batteries is pretty essential to understanding whether it has value,” says Andy Latham, an electric vehicle salvage consultant at Salvage Wire.
ReJoule, a startup based in southern Los Angeles County amid strip malls and rocking oil derricks, wants to streamline that process. Its prototype is a lightweight, desktop computer-sized device that can diagnose in less than five minutes, and as little as 30 seconds, whether a battery is suitable for a second life. Today, the process can take hours and requires machines that can be heavier than the battery packs they’re diagnosing.
B2U’s Lancaster project looks promising. The company says its solar panels generate up to 1.65 megawatts of power, while its retired Nissan Leaf batteries can retain 10 megawatt-hours of storage—about as much as the average US home uses in a year. Freeman says the company is profitable, and planning expansions.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hydrogen Scooters With Swappable Cans Power Forward in FranceHydrogen Scooters With hot-Swappable Can technology Power Forward in France with the new Mob-ion scooter concept.
Read more »
Governments Need To Prepare For Tsunami Of Electric Car Batteries, Warns Royal Society Of Chemistry President'[Electric car batteries] have relatively fixed lifetimes,' said Professor Tom Welton, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He stated that there will come a time very soon when there will be a 'tsunami of batteries ready to be replaced.'
Read more »
Hyundai Home: Electric Car, Rooftop Solar, Battery Storage, & An EV Charger All In One PackageHyundai Home will debut in 2022 and offer customers to sign up for rooftop solar, a residential storage battery, and an EV charger in one seamless transaction.
Read more »
Sonic Gets a New Lego Set To Kick Off the New Year | Digital TrendsSonic the Hedgehog returns to the world of Lego with his own playset featuring Badniks, Eggman, and power-ups.
Read more »
Copper wire stolen from street lights leaving LA neighborhoods in the dark, costing city millionsCopper wire thefts are leaving some Los Angeles neighborhoods in the dark - a growing issue costing the city millions.
Read more »
New York City orders 184 Mustang Mach-E cars for police and government use | EngadgetNew York City has purchased 184 all-electric Mustang Mach-Es, and they're all going to be used for law enforcement and emergency response purposes..
Read more »