Waymo’s retired EV batteries won’t be heading straight to recycling anymore. Instead, they’re going to help support the power grid in California and Texas.
Autonomous driving company Waymo has partnered with battery repurposing company B2U Storage Solutions to reuse batteries from its electric robotaxi fleet once they’re no longer suitable for driving.
The used battery packs will be installed into grid-connected energy storage systems that can store electricity and send it back to the grid when demand is high. The projects will operate in California and Texas, where Waymo already runs autonomous ride-hailing services.
The partnership creates an alternative second-life pipeline for used EV batteries, besides recycling after automotive use.
B2U says its technology allows the lithium-ion batteries to continue operating safely and efficiently for several more years as stationary energy storage before they’re eventually recycled.
That’s important because EV batteries usually still retain plenty of usable capacity after they’re retired from vehicles.
Turning old EV batteries into battery storage
Once installed on the grid, the retired EV batteries will store excess renewable energy during periods of low demand and discharge it during peak hours. That helps stabilize the grid and adds extra energy capacity for local communities.
B2U says using repurposed batteries can also lower costs compared to building storage systems entirely from newly manufactured battery materials.
The company said the partnership could eventually transition thousands of retired EV batteries from transportation into the power sector.
Freeman Hall, CEO of B2U Storage Solutions, said, “By extending the use of these batteries as grid storage, we are monetizing the full potential of EV batteries, now providing crucial stability to the power grid as energy demand continues to grow.”
Waymo’s head of sustainability and environment, Adam Lenz, said, “Through this partnership, we can repurpose our batteries for local grid storage and ensure our batteries continue to provide economic and environmental value to the community long after they’ve retired from the road.”
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