Nissan has today announced a new project called Nissan Node, which seeks to recycle used Leaf batteries and put them to use at a facility in Victoria.
Firstly: a double take. A Nissan facility in Victoria? I thought car manufacturing was dead in Australia.
It’s actually Nissan Casting Australia, a factory that builds vehicle parts and components that are shipped to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, it doesn’t build the cars there (though every Leaf sold globally apparently contains parts from this facility). Sorry to get your hopes up.
Maybe Nissan’s new initiative to recycle Leaf Batteries will cheer you up. It’s part of Nissan’s attempt to create a “circular economy” of batteries. That is, Nissan wants to repurpose the degraded batteries in Leaf vehicles as stationary power storage units.
Earlier this year, Jaguar Land-Rover announced a similar initiative and automakers like Mitsubishi have started to do similar things at their facilities (despite not releasing a mainstream electric car).
So it’s not abnormal that Nissan would announce something like this, especially considering that 2022 marks 10 years of the Leaf being on sale in Australia.
“This isn’t just a hugely exciting project, but an important step into the future for end-of-life EV batteries,” said Peter Jones, managing director of Nissan Casting Australia.
“Already the Nissan Leaf comes with vehicle-to-grid technology from factory, which will allow Australian EV owners to use their vehicle to power their homes, and could be used to help stabilise the electricity grid, but commercial circular economy projects like this are a viable, sustainable and innovative solution for end-of-life EV batteries, too.”
The battery system will be built using components from nine Gen 1 Nissan Leaf vehicles and will be charged using solar panels.
Nissan estimates that the new project will reduce the emissions of the casting facility by 259 tonnes, saving 128 megawatts of energy per year. It won’t be the main power source for the facility but it will offer a green alternative to grid-sourced power when switched on.
It’s not the first time Nissan has used recycled batteries for similar projects, but it is a first for the company in Australia.
Additionally, Nissan is teaming up with Melbourne-based battery company, Relectrify, to install the system. Relectrify has previously partnered with IBM, Volkswagen and American Electric Power, just to name a few.
“We are delighted to be working with Nissan on this initiative, which positions Australian innovation at the forefront of the global transition towards both carbon neutrality and the Circular Economy,” said Val Muenzel, the CEO of Relectrify.
Nissan only has one EV available in Australia, the Leaf. Though the company will soon be releasing the new Ariya elsewhere, Australia will miss out on Nissan’s first electric SUV for now.
The battery system will be installed this year.
While you’re here, why not check out our list of every new EV in Australia, or every electric vehicle coming to Australia.