The downside of electric vehicles is that as they come towards the end of their life, they create a set of issues, one of which is getting rid of the batteries. Aiming to solve this problem, Daimler has joined force with The Mobility House, Remondis and GETEC to create a 13-megawatt battery storage unit out of second-life battery systems from plug-in hybrid and electric cars.
These companies have worked closely to plan the process of battery development and recycling in Lünen in the Westphalian region of Germany. Daimler offers a 10-year battery life guarantee to electric vehicle customers, but reveals that there is still a good deal of life in the cells beyond this point.
The premier automaker projects that such batteries should provide at least another 10 years of usefulness when used in stationary storage systems, which are claimed to be key in helping to level out dips in the energy supply originating from renewable sources such as solar power stations and wind farms.
At the moment, this is a role that is partially played by fossil-fuel power plants, so Daimler believes that the battery system will help accelerate the energy revolution and eliminate the cost of expanding the grid and building new power plants.
Reports say that the battery storage unit will be connected to the grid early next year.
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