Nissan set to give its Leaf EV batteries a second life in Australia manufacturing plant

Nissan Australia says it is set to use recycled batteries from its Leaf electric cars to help power and cut CO2 emissions at its Australian component manufacturing plant.

The Japan-based automaker says the move, called Nissan Node, requires the installation of a new solar array at its Nissan Casting Australia facility in Victoria state, as well as new EV chargers, and marks an important step in Nissan Australia’s goal of carbon neutrality.

Nissan Node will include the installation of a new battery energy storage system made of nine repurposed Gen 1 Nissan LEAF batteries at the Nissan Casting Australia Plant, which will be charged via the solar array, according to the company.

Using end-of-life batteries from the Nissan Leaf and renewable energy to power part of the production of components for Nissan’s global EV models, as well as help supply the new EV chargers to recharge staff vehicles, represents a “true circular economy project,” Nissan said.

The automaker estimates battery recycling will cut the casting plant’s annual C02 emissions by 259 tonnes, while saving 128 megawatts of energy each year..

Nissan Leafs already come with vehicle-to-grid technology that will allow Australian EV owners to use their car to power their homes, and be used to help stabilise the electricity grid.

However, commercial circular economy projects such as second-life battery applications, are a viable, sustainable and innovative solution for end-of-life EV batteries, according to Peter Jones, managing director of Nissan Casting Australia.

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

Over 50 per cent of Nissan Casting’s operation is dedicated to the manufacturing of aluminium castings that are fitted to Nissan’s battery electric and hybrid vehicles sold globally, according to Jones.

Similar projects headed by Nissan are already underway around the world, including a trial with the East Japan Railway Co, which uses second-life Leaf batteries to power railway crossings, and with the 4R Energy Corp in Japan, which is developing the technology and infrastructure to recycle, resell and reuse the batteries in Nissan EVs as a power storage solution.

The project is being run in partnership with Melbourne-based Relectrify.

Relectrify is a developer of battery management and inverter technology that extends the life of batteries, reduces battery system costs, and enables  repurposing of high-quality second-life batteries from electric vehicles.

Nisssan expects to complete the project this year, marking a key step in the company’s drive to carbon neutrality. It will contribute to the company’s broader EV36Zero global vision, Jones said.

EV36Zero is Nissan’s US$1.7 billion Electric Vehicle Hub in Sunderland, UK, which will create a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem  bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production,

Nissan sees the hub setting a blueprint for the future of the automotive industry.

That project includes the creation of a renewable energy micro-grid that will power EV and battery production at the Sunderland manufacturing facility, saving up to 55,000 tonnes of carbon annually and establishing Nissan as the industry leader in zero-emission automotive manufacturing, the company said.