The unit, produced as part of a collaboration with energy storage innovation start-up Allye Energy, can store 270kWh of energy – nearly a month’s worth of power for the average UK home. It is comparable in size and weight to a typical diesel generator.
Each unit holds seven used EV batteries sourced from plug-in hybrid Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles. Batteries do not have to undergo additional processing before being used in the BESS.
The batteries used in the BESS will typically have a 70-80% capacity, meaning they fall below EV requirements but are still safe and efficient to use in other applications.
Testing has proven that each unit can charge up to nine plug-in hybrid cars at a time, as long as these vehicles use the same input as JLR’s existing EV portfolio.
It is hoped that the BESS can be used to replace diesel generators often used to support off-grid vehicle launches and vehicle tests in remote areas.
JLR will use the solution to power 1,000 hours of testing over a 12-month period. The unit will also be commercially available for use outside of JLR. Whether the units are used in-house or by other firms, JLR will provide the battery recycling service once they reach the end of their working life.
The initiative builds on a prior collaboration between JLR and Wykes Engineering, whereby used batteries from Jaguar I-PACE vehicles were used to create a grid-scale battery energy storage system in Northamptonshire.
JLR’s executive director of strategy and sustainability Francois Dossa said: “We are creating new value from a used commodity that would otherwise go directly to recycling, keeping them in use for longer, and providing innovative renewable energy storage solutions.”
The firm’s sustainable industrial operations director Reuben Chorley added: “Developing second-life battery projects is crucial if we want to make sustainability real in JLR and drive us towards achieving our carbon net-zero target by 2039.”
This target covers carbon emissions across all scopes, including Scope 3 (indirect) emissions in JLR’s supply chains and those generated through the use of sold vehicles. It is supported by 2030 emissions reduction aims that are verified as science-based.
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