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EV Batteries Getting Second Life On California Power Grid

Wednesday February 8, 2023. 03:02 AM , from Slashdot
Hundreds of used electric vehicle battery packs are enjoying a second life at a California facility connected to the state's power grid, according to a company pioneering technology it says will dramatically lower the cost of storing carbon-free energy. Reuters reports: B2U Storage Solutions, a Los Angeles-based startup, said it has 25 megawatt-hours of storage capacity made up of 1,300 former EV batteries tied to a solar energy facility in Lancaster, California. The project is believed to be the first of its kind selling power into a wholesale market and earned $1 million last year, according to Chief Executive Freeman Hall. B2U's technology allows the EV battery packs to be bundled together without having to be taken apart first. Founded in 2019, the company is backed by Japanese trading company Marubeni Corp.

By extending the batteries' lives, project developers can save both resources and costs. Hall estimates that a system like B2U's could lower grid-scale battery capital costs by about 40%. 'Second life and re-use helps the overall lifecycle be more energy efficient, given all the efforts that go into making that battery,' Hall said in an interview. 'So you're getting maximum value out of it.' Batteries are worked hard during their years powering vehicles, and over time their range deteriorates. But they still hold value as stationary storage, which has gentler demands, Hall said. The batteries in the B2U system are up to 8-years old and once powered vehicles built by Honda and Nissan.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/23/02/07/2236259/ev-batteries-getting-second-life-on-california-...
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