Secondary Market for Advanced Auto Batteries Critical to Lower EV Costs

[kristopher]

EnerDel to Supply Energy-Storage Batteries for Tokyo Apartment Complex

Company Sees Secondary Market for Advanced Auto Batteries Critical to Lower EV Costs

enerdelBattery.jpgU.S. battery maker EnerDel is working with Japan-based conglomerate Itochu Corp. on developing the prototype of an energy-storage system at a new apartment complex near Tokyo that will use lithium-ion automotive batteries.

The project is the second announced by EnerDel since early December that attempts to create a secondary market for lithium ion batteries after they are no longer useful in hybrid and all-electric vehicles.

The Tokyo system will be installed in an Itochu-developed five-story building set to open next year. The builder is looking to eventually include battery-based energy storage system in about 20% of its new apartment complexes to help residents store energy for use at times of peak demand, EnerDel said.

With the cost of electric vehicles markedly higher than their gas-fueled counterparts in large part because of the initial cost of their batteries, EnerDel is looking to help develop a secondary market in which used batteries are installed in storage systems that are part of the so-called smart grid.

A healthy battery reuse market can help defraying the higher costs of EVs by allowing providers to lower the initial cost of batteries in the knowledge that they will be saleable after their automotive use is ended.

Last month, EnerDel, which estimates ...

Full story at: http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/01/enerdel-to-supply-energy-storage-batteries-for-tokyo-apartment-complex.html

[madokie]

1. At what point do they consider a battery no longer suitable for an EV

[tinrobot]

2. I would assume when the range drops significantly.

[madokie]

3. I wonder where that break point is though

I'm really looking forward to the new age of electric powered vehicles, my only regret is I was born too damn soon.

[tinrobot]

4. If the car was purchased, it would be up the owner to decide.

I could easily see companies springing up to replace/rehabilitate EV battery packs. They'd upgrade the pack, and give you a core charge for the old batteries, which could either be recycled or sold to companies like this one.

I could also see people starting businesses to sell aftermarket EV parts. People are going to want bigger batteries, faster motors and speed controllers, etc. Instead of rice rockets based on Honda CRX's and Civics, in 20 years the kids will be hot-rodding Dad's old Nissan Leaf.