British automaker Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc (JLR), part of Tata Motors, said today it has teamed up with Wykes Engineering to develop one of the UK’s largest energy storage systems using second-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
One Wykes Engineering battery energy storage system (BESS) consists of 30 used Jaguar I-PACE batteries and has a storage capability of up to 2.5 MWh. JLR said it has supplied batteries from prototype and engineering test vehicles and plans to supply a total of 7.5 MWh by the end of the year. Additional containers can be added in the future to house batteries from used production vehicles.
Thanks to Wykes Engineering and JLR’s collaboration, the batteries can be removed from the Jaguar I-PACE and placed into racks in the containers on-site without additional steps, the company explained. Each BESS is able to supply power directly to the grid, helping to maximise solar and wind generation.
The partnership aligns with JLR’s circulatory efforts. “Using the 70-80% residual capacity in EV batteries, before being recycled, demonstrates full adoption of circularity principles,” said Francois Dossa, executive director, strategy and sustainability, at JLR.
