Daimler, in partnership with its subsidiary ACCUmotive and Hannover-based utility enercity, is planning a new stationary energy storage system with a unique twist. The 15 MWh installation will be marketed on the German energy balancing market, and will also serve as a storage facility for new EV battery packs.

The battery bank will consist of around 3,000 new battery packs, destined to be used in the smart electric drive vehicle fleet.

Automakers need to have a stock of battery packs available to replace defective, damaged or worn-out packs. However, to remain viable, a battery requires regular cycling, so the long-term storage of replacement batteries could get expensive. Incorporating the batteries into this facility will ensure their required cycling while simultaneously performing a useful (and revenue-generating) grid-balancing function.

A Daimler spokesperson explained that using a battery pack in stationary storage for grid balancing is completely different from using it in a car, and shouldn’t result in any loss of capacity. ACCUmotive’s battery management system is designed to ensure that the batteries will always be in optimum condition in terms of temperature and charge level.

Source: Daimler via Green Car Congress