UK’s Connected Energy & Jaguar Land Rover Collaborating On Second-Life EV Battery Research Project

The UK-based site-integrated energy storage solutions provider Connected Energy will be heading a new £1.3 million (~$1.7 million) research project with Jaguar Land Rover and others that focuses on productive uses of second-life electric vehicle batteries.

In addition to Jaguar Land Rover, the project will involve collaboration with WMG at University of Warwick and Videre Global. As we reported previously, the project is being partially funded through an “Innovate UK” grant.

Green Car Congress provides more: “Connected Energy is based in Newcastle upon Tyne with a technical center near Norwich. Its E-STOR energy storage technology will be adapted to integrate second-life Jaguar Land Rover batteries, with other work to be undertaken by WMG on the use of varied second-life battery modules. This approach will further increase Connected Energy’s knowledge base and performance of E-STOR systems. E-STOR currently uses second-life Renault electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

“Second life use enables greater exploitation of the carbon and energy embedded in the manufacturing of the batteries, adding to the sustainability credentials of electric vehicles as well as the electricity system. Using second-life batteries also reduces system costs, making energy storage systems financially viable for a wider range of end users.”

Well, that’s one take on things anyways — a different one being that second-life electric vehicle (EV) battery use doesn’t make much sense, and that a better approach would be to simply ensure the full recycling of the components used in EV batteries.

Notably, though, the new project is apparently focused primarily on assessing the viability of applications specifically within the “developing” world — where such applications could perhaps be more economical than elsewhere.

If this is sounding a bit familiar, it’s because we recently reported on a similar story with one of the same core actors — “Belgium and German EV motorists can relax and enjoy more charging options in rural locations thanks to second-life batteries. UK-based Connected Energy and Groupe Renault have installed two quick-charge stations along highways based on E-STOR energy storage technology.”