When it comes to electric vehicles, the issue of battery recycling is a big source of debate and attention. It's essential to the very mission of the electric car, which is to use fewer resources at the end of its life cycle.
Recycling of EV batteries opens up new possibilities. To wit, Nissan has gotten creative with units pulled out of aging LEAF EVs. The automaker is transforming them into portable energy sources usable for a wide range of purposes.
The exercise also sheds light on a question that was widely asked when the model arrived in 2011: would the battery last as long as the vehicle? The answer is now in sight, as many of those early models are no longer on the road, while their batteries are being reclaimed for another life.
Nissan has developed these portable generators with electronics manufacturer JVCKenwood and 4R Energy, a company jointly owned by Nissan and Sumitomo that works on environmentally friendly vehicles and energy storage systems.
The energy source, which weighs 14.4 kg, is sold in Japan for the equivalent of around $1,500 CAD. Sales have not yet begun in other markets.
Nissan officials said their process involves testing EV batteries removed from retired LEAFs, and reusing those that can still hold their charge level.
The reaction to this initiative is positive, understandably so. Balakumar Balasingam, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Windsor, Ontario stresses the energy-storage potential of EV batteries when they reach the end of their in-vehicle life. He also issues a warning: “Without such a solution, billions of EV battery packs will be made and then prematurely recycled in the next decade. That will be a problem for sustainability.”