GM & ABB To Reuse GM Chevrolet Volt Batteries To Power Homes

General Motors and ABB are jointly conducting research to reuse the batteries from electric vehicles whose automotive life is over. A stationary power backup system developed using the used Chevrolet Volt batteries was unveiled earlier this week. The companies began their research on the reuse of the batteries which were no longer suitable for applications in automobiles. The Li-Ion batteries used in EVs are very expensive (~ $10,000/pack) and they can't be used in electric vehicles once they reach 30% of their life-span. The representatives of both the companies spot to the media at ABB research center in Raleigh, N.C and informed that they were successful in building a prototype of the power backup system. The batteries will now be used to store the electric power generated from clean energy sources like solar and wind power and feed it back to the grid when the requirement arises.

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Power Backup System Using Used Chevrolet Volt Used Battery

The batteries in EVs have a typical life-span of about 10-15 years for automotive use. After their life-span they can no longer hold enough charge to operate the electric drive systems in EVs. ABB's Sandeep Bala, the lead engineer on the project said, "We had to prove to ourselves that a GM battery pack and an ABB inverter could work well together in this kind of application".

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