ABB, GM to Research Spent Car Batteries for Grid Storage

Chevy Volt (courtesy, GM)

ABB, a developer of power and automation technologies in Cary, North Carolina, and General Motors will collaborate in a research and development project focused on uses for electric vehicle batteries once their useful life in the vehicle is over.

The project will examine the reuse of spent lithium-ion battery packs from GM’s Chevy Volt, as a potential source of energy storage capacity to improve the efficiency of electrical systems as they evolve into smart grids. According to GM, the Volt’s battery will still have significant capacity to store electrical energy, even after its automotive life.

Economical grid storage is considered a key requirement for enhancing the effectiveness of smart grids, for functions such as managing the intermittent flow of wind and solar sources, mitigating spikes in electricity demand, providing backup power, and allowing cheaper off-peak power to be used during peak periods.