Hyperdrive

Old Electric Car Batteries May Help Cut Costs of Storing Power

  • American Electric Power, Nissan testing reused packs for grids
  • Developer says technology can cut price, extend storage life
The Relectrify energy storage system in Melbourne on Jan. 17.Photographer: James Bugg/Bloomberg
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As major players jostle for market share in large-scale power storage, American Electric Power and Nissan Motor Co. are testing new technology that re-uses old electric vehicle batteries to slash costs.

The pilot study in Ohio will road test technology that could lower system costs by about a half and extend the life of lithium-ionBloomberg Terminal batteries by about a third, according to its Australian developer.