New lease of life for BMW EV batteries

The UK division of BMW Group has begun a partnership with Off Grid Energy to provide a second life to batteries used in BMW and Mini electric vehicles.

BMW will supply Off Grid Energy with battery modules to be adapted and create mobile power units from.

In a statement, Graeme Grieve, CEO BMW Group UK, said: “BMW Group will have 25 electrified models on the roads by 2023 – half of them fully electric. We are delighted to work with Off Grid Energy to find a sustainable way of continuing to use these valuable batteries, even after they have put in many years of service in our electrified cars.”

Batteries in BMW and Mini electric cars have a warranty of eight years (or 100,000 miles). After this time, the battery can still retain as much as 80% of initial capacity, and could continue to have a 'secondary use' as a mobile power source.

According to BMW,  a prototype unit is running, powered by lithium-ion battery modules from a MINI Electric development vehicle. It is said to have a 40kWh capacity delivering a 7.2kW fast charge and will be used at events in the UK over the next year.

Over time, more battery modules will become available and systems will be built with a capacity of 180 kWh.

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said: “How we use resources will decide the future of our society – and of the BMW Group. As a premium car company, it is our ambition to lead the way in sustainability. That is why we are taking responsibility here and now.”

The automotive giant says it expects electric vehicles to account for between 15-25% of the company's global sales before 2025.

By next year, 25% of the BMW vehicles sold in Europe will be electric, with the figure expected to rise to 33% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

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