Energy

GM and ABB Show Chevy Volt Battery Reuse Application

Nov 14, 2012 5:15 PM ET
Campaign: GM Energy Efficiency
General Motors and ABB have partnered to produce a prototype back-up power storage unit that repackages five used Chevrolet Volt batteries into a modular unit that becomes an uninterruptable power supply and grid power balancing system. The unit is demonstrated Tuesday, November 14, 2012 during GM’s Electrification Experience in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Fecht for General Motors)

In the future, it might be a common sight to see a group of homes or small commercial buildings being powered by an “off the grid” system made up of repackaged Chevrolet Volt batteries.

Today, it’s reality as the partnership between General Motors and ABB opens a new chapter with the debut of a functional prototype Chevrolet Volt battery reuse system that provides uninterruptable power supply and grid power balancing. 

The unit repackages 5 Volt batteries into a modular unit that is designed to provide 25 kW of power and 50 kWh of energy for two hours, which is enough to power 3 to 5 average American homes.  In a demonstration, GM and ABB used the prototype to power all the support lighting, and AV equipment in an “off grid” structure. The unit can provide power when electricity goes out, during expensive peak demand, or when intermittency challenges with renewable energy generation arise.

“GM’s battery development extends throughout the entire life of the battery, including secondary use,” said Pablo Valencia, GM senior manager of battery lifecycle management. "In many cases, when an EV battery has reached the end of its life in an automotive application, only 30 percent or less of its life has been used.  This leaves a tremendous amount of life that can be applied to other applications like powering a structure, as we demonstrated today, before we need to initiate recycling,” Valencia said.

The announcement of this next phase in the partnership was made at GM’s Electrification Symposium this week in California, where all of the support lighting and AV equipment was powered using one of the prototype.