What if yesterday's electric bus batteries could power tomorrow's cities? That's the vision behind Zenobe, a United Kingdom-based company turning used electric vehicle batteries into clean, portable energy solutions.
Electric vehicles, including buses and delivery vans, rely on large batteries. Unfortunately, over time, these batteries degrade and no longer meet transportation performance needs. While they still have significant capacity, they are often discarded rather than repurposed.
Zenobe, a company specializing in energy storage, addressed this issue by giving these batteries a "second life," using them to build portable energy storage units.
Zenobe deploys them in stationary applications, such as providing power at events, film sets, and construction sites. This not only reduces waste but also offers a sustainable energy solution for various industries.
"The challenge is that often the power's not available, and the operator doesn't know where to start," Zenobe co-founder and Director Steven Meersman told Charged. "We turned the whole thing into a service — from grid to plug, we guarantee your vehicle will be charged on time, with enough juice for a full day's work, at the lowest possible cost."
Founded in 2017, Zenobe owns and manages approximately 735 megawatts of grid-connected batteries. With its global headquarters in London, it is a major battery storage operator connected to the U.K.'s national grid. It's also active in New Zealand, Australia, and the Benelux region, with plans to expand to the U.S.
"In the U.S., we've started with school buses, but we also recently picked up a lot of new battery leases," said Meersman.
While EV batteries can be recycled, with many components reclaimed, only a small fraction of these batteries reach recycling centers. In fact, it's estimated that 95% to 98.3% of EV batteries end up in landfills. Not only is that a lot of wasted energy and potential, but it's also harmful to the environment.
By extending the life of EV batteries, Zenobe helps lower the cost of clean energy while reducing pollution and demand for new raw materials. That's good news for cities looking to electrify public transportation and for people breathing cleaner air.
These second-life battery systems can also alleviate pressure on power grids, especially during peak hours, making them a valuable complement to solar solutions and other renewable energy upgrades.
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