This startup uses old EV batteries to power new charging stations

One out of every four cars sold globally last year was an electric vehicle. That’s both good news for emissions and a looming challenge: When the huge lithium-ion batteries inside the cars eventually wear out, how can they avoid becoming new waste?

EV batteries are difficult to recycle. So instead of taking the batteries apart to get the valuable materials inside—a complex and expensive process—some companies are finding simpler ways to give them a second life.

Voltfang, a German startup, uses the batteries to make EV charging stations or store renewable energy. “By prolonging the life of batteries for 10 to 15 years, we save the use of new critical raw materials and reduce thousands of tons of CO2,” says Roman Alberti, the Gen Z cofounder and CEO of Voltfang.

Why EV batteries make good EV charging stations

After a decade of driving, an EV battery might no longer work in a car. But typically it still has a lot of capacity left. Voltfang tests and monitors each battery and designs its systems with extra capacity so that old batteries can run optimally. EV batteries are especially well suited to storing energy for charging stations, Alberti says: “They are designed for high charging and discharging rates, allowing them to quickly supply energy to fast-charging stations.”

The electric grid often can’t handle the extra demand for power from fast-charging stations. That makes the infrastructure hard to build. But adding batteries means that the charging stations can store extra energy when it’s available. Then the chargers run off the batteries when demand peaks.

[Image: Voltfang]

The batteries can also store renewable power directly. In one of the startup’s installations, in a supermarket parking lot, a roof covered with solar panels sends power to the batteries during the day. The company’s software manages five fast-charging points and ten slower charging points at the site. It uses the batteries to send power to the chargers when they need it. “This approach increases the use of renewable energy and reduces the strain on the electrical grid by avoiding high power peaks,” Alberti says.

How batteries help stabilize the grid

In addition to charging cars, the batteries can also provide backup power to a business. A business can also buy electricity when prices are low and use stored energy when prices are high. “Often batteries are used for one task and remain unused for long periods,” Alberti says. “This is inefficient. Our smart management ensures batteries are always active and contributing, which helps stabilize the grid and get the most out of every battery.”

Some other companies are beginning to use old EV batteries to store power at large solar or wind farms. In one site in the Mojave Desert, for example, hundreds of old Nissan and Honda batteries now provide power to Californians at night. Voltfang also plans to use its batteries for grid-scale storage.

When the first large wave of EVs reaches the end of its life, the number of old batteries will surge. But there’s already a huge supply. “The automotive industry produces 10 times more batteries than what the stationary energy storage sector needs annually,” Alberti says. “As a result, we have enough capacity to stabilize entire grids, balancing the output from wind turbines and PV installations across Germany and the EU.”

This post originally appeared at fastcompany.com

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