Pre-Owned Electric Car Batteries
Pre-Owned Electric Car Batteries
Nissan and Sumitomo established a joint venture to recycle lithium-ion electric car batteries, which could give Nissan an early lead in the fledgling electric car market by making its vehicles more affordable. The venture is based on a '4R' business model - Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle. Nissan aims to launch mass market electric vehicles by 2012. It already operates a joint venture with NEC - Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) - that makes high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
Reselling the batteries solves one of electric car manufacturers' biggest problems, which is affordability. Demand is expected to be particularly high for back-up power supplies, uninterruptable power supplies, load levelling for the electricity grid, and levelling of energy from both photovoltaic solar and wind power. In Japan, demand for such recycled batteries is expected to reach the equivalent of at least 50,000 electric cars a year by 2020.
Renault Launches EVs Site
Renault Zero Emission Range
Renault made quite an impact at the Frankfurt Motor Show with an extensive electric vehicle range. Following on the success of the show Renault has just launched a new site dedicated to promoting its upcoming range of Zero Emission vehicles; the Fluence, Kangoo, Zoe and Twizy. But the site is not only about the vehicles. The new site also provides information about Renault's process of making EVs affordable to everyone.
The site offers explanations of how Renault hopes to make these cars mainstream and affordable. Renault plans to offer all of its EVs with a Better Place strategy. Renault will lease the batteries of all upcoming EVs rather than outright selling the battery to the buyer. The energy storage system will all be leased separately with payments going to a chosen energy supplier. Additional information on the site suggests that Renault will offer three charging options for all of its EVs.
