Cummins has announced a multi-year partnership with the University of California San Diego and its battery validation lab to analyze viable business and technical approaches to effectively reuse and repurpose EV batteries.

UC San Diego will perform accelerated testing and real-world application testing, and will develop an outdoor second-life demonstration system comprised of Cummins battery modules. The collaboration will enable Cummins to acquire data on the aging behaviors of its battery modules, test integration solutions for second-life battery systems, and validate stationary energy storage system performance under grid energy storage applications.

Batteries retired from EVs still maintain significant battery capacity. While that capacity may no longer meet the minimum requirements for the initial application, it may be sufficient for less demanding applications. Repurposing batteries not only provides a higher value through the life of the battery, it increases sustainability by postponing recycling as well.

Throughout 2018, Cummins expanded its development of electric systems, founding its Electrified Power business to design and manufacturer fully-electric and hybrid powertrain systems for commercial markets.

Mike Ferry, Director of Energy Storage and Systems at the University of California San Diego, said, “Battery module design is a crucial aspect to making second life more feasible and Cummins’s experience will be invaluable as we continue to develop solutions.”

Source: Cummins