"Whenever the ‘pros‘ of a battery electric car are mentioned, usually the batteries themselves are touted as being recyclable, even valuable to their owners for resale when they outlive their usefulness inside the EV.
However, that reality doesn’t just happen by itself. The batteries are not simply removed from the car and then plunked on a shelf for sale to whoever is interested, thus saving the consumer money and allowing the auto manufacturer to also turn a profit on the transaction. The reality is, if you do not have a system in place to give these batteries a second life, you will actually be paying someone to dispose of them for you.
To that end, Nissan has formed a joint venture with the Sumitomo Corporation, to bring about this secondary market for its automotive batteries once they have reached their ‘end of life’ inside vehicles like the LEAF. (Nissan pegs this level to be around 70-80% of original capacity)
The new company is called the 4R Energy Corp. The company name is not without meaning, as it basically outlines what the company does “Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle.”
Nissan COO Toshiyuki Shiga has this say about the startup, “We recognize Nissan’s unique responsibility as the first company in the world to commit to delivering affordable zero emission mobility. Consumers are excited by the promise of all-electric, zero-emission cars, but they also want assurances that lithium-ion batteries can be reused and recycled. In fact, our batteries are not only reusable, they also contribute as a solution to energy storage. We are pleased to have found a business partner in Sumitomo.”
Nissan said it expects that the joint venture will give batteries like those found in the LEAF a high residual value and will lead to cost savings for not only Nissan, but the customer as wel…while also reducing the environmental impact of electric vehicles of course.
“This direct management of the battery’s entire value chain is important to ensure that our EV customers do not bear the cost of the battery,” said Hideaki Watanabe, who is lead of Nissan’s zero emission business unit.
The JV is expected to be up and running by the end of 2010 in both Japan and the United States. It is still unclear what role 4R Energy Corp will play in Europe as it would add Renault into the mix, adding complexity to the partnership (with Renault already have a indirect ownership stake through Nissan)."
Em: http://nissan-leaf.net/2010/09/16/nissa ... ery-packs/