Recycled Nissan LEAF batteries to help power Aussie factory

What happens at the end of an electric vehicle’s usable life is a hot topic when it comes to the environmental impact of zero-emission technology as the popularity of EVs increases.

To this end and coinciding with World EV Day, Nissan Australia has announced it will employ end-of-life Nissan LEAF batteries to power sections of its local casting plant (NCAP), which just so happens to be one of the brand’s major EV component production facilities.

Officially dubbed ‘Nissan Node’, the project will see nine first-generation LEAF batteries repurposed as an energy storage system for the plant and they will be charged by a new array of solar panels.

Nissan Australia is forecasting a 259-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions from NCAP and a 128mW energy saving as a result of the project – a key milestone in its journey towards carbon neutrality.

“This isn’t just a hugely exciting project, but an important step into the future for end-of-life EV batteries,” said Nissan Casting Australia managing director Peter Jones.

“As an early pioneer of the electric vehicle both globally and locally, we can also demonstrate leadership in second-life battery initiatives.

“I’m proud that this solution is every bit as innovative as the launch of the LEAF in Australia was more than 10 years ago.”

While the repurposed LEAF batteries will form the core of the energy storage system, the system itself is being developed and installed by Melbourne-based battery management and inverter technology specialist Relectrify.

“We are delighted to be working with Nissan on this initiative, which positions Australian innovation at the forefront of the global transition towards both carbon neutrality and the Circular Economy,” CEO Val Muenzel said.

Similar initiatives are already in place around the world both in-house and externally (from Nissan) including one in Japan that uses second-life LEAF batteries to power railway crossings.