Source: JLR, Allye
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced a new partnership with Allye Energy, to create a novel Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) that will enable zero emissions power to be delivered on the go. In a press release, JLR states that a single Allye MAX BESS contains seven second-life Range Rover and Range Rover Sport PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) battery packs. Each of these units can store 270kWh of energy at full capacity[i], which JLR claims is enough to power the average UK household for nearly a month.
Test have proven that a single BESS unit can charge up to nine Range Rover PHEVs at any one time, and it is designed to be easily charged by simply plugging it into any CCS-capable Vehicle Charger using the same input as JLR’s existing PHEV and BEV product portfolio. In addition, it can be connected to renewable power at fixed or off-grid sites. JLR hopes that the storage system will be used to replace diesel generators often used to support off-grid vehicle launches and vehicle tests in remote areas.
François Dossa, Executive Director, Strategy and Sustainability at JLR has said: “This battery innovation and partnership with Allye demonstrates the value we can create from repurposing and reusing batteries, such as from our Range Rover vehicles. We are creating new value from a used commodity that would otherwise go directly to recycling, keeping them in use for longer, and providing innovative renewable energy storage solutions.”[ii]
JLR also plans to recycle these second-life batteries once they fall below operating standards, extracting the raw materials as part of a drive towards circularity.
It follows an announcement from JLR last August regarding a collaboration with Wykes Engineering to develop an energy storage system for solar and wind power using second-life EV batteries[iii]. The Wykes Engineering BESS units use thirty second-life I-PACE batteries, and are able to store up to 2.5MWh of energy at full capacity.
Disused Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries pose a challenge in terms of their disposal. Predominantly, todays EV batteries come in the form of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). LIBs are found in many technological devices in use today, including mobile phones and computers, and when in an electric vehicle, they are not one single unit, but rather thousands of individual cells. EV batteries are made from a combination of raw materials, including so-called ‘base’ metals such as aluminium, copper and iron, as well as more expensive ‘precious metals’ such as cobalt, nickel and manganese. Other key elements include graphite and, of course, lithium[iv].
There is growing concern around both the safe disposal and alternative use cases for EV batteries when they reach the ‘end of first life’ (EOFL for the purposes of this insight). An EV battery is generally viewed to have reached its EOFL once it falls below the ability to maintain 70-80 per cent of total usable capacity[v]. As an EV car’s capacity is linked to its ‘range’ (the distance it can travel on a single charge), a significant decline in capacity is problematic for both manufacturer and consumer, hence the push to replace ailing batteries.
Whereas more traditional alkaline car batteries can and often are recycled[vi], EV batteries are a different matter. EV batteries are much larger and heavier than traditional batteries; the materials used are also hazardous to human health and can explode if disassembled incorrectly.
“These (EV) batteries contain materials that are potentially dangerous, but also valuable. Recycling is a difficult process that shreds the battery materials, then requires the materials to be separated chemically. It is less expensive to mine new battery materials than to recycle them.” -Globalspec.[vii]
These issues highlight why it is important to get the most out of each EV battery during its life, with schemes such as JLRs forming a crucial step in improving battery life and also helping circularity of materials.
Read more about EV batteries here The challenges of recycling EV batteries, and the companies hoping to provide them with a second a life (zerocarbonacademy.com)
[iv] EV battery guide: what are electric car batteries made of? | RAC Drive
[vi] Electric cars: What will happen to all the dead batteries? - BBC News
[vii] Used EV batteries find second lives — in homes | GlobalSpec
Lauren has extensive experience as an analyst and market researcher in the digital technology and travel sectors. She has a background in researching and forecasting emerging technologies, with a particular passion for the Videogames and eSports industries. She joined the Critical Information Group as Head of Reports and Market Research at GRC World Forums, and leads the content and data research team at the Zero Carbon Academy. “What drew me to the academy is the opportunity to add content and commentary around sustainability across a wealth of industries and sectors.”
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