Chevy Volt Batteries To Get Second Life

GM is so confident in the durability of the advanced lithium-ion batteries used in the new Chevrolet Volt that it offers a standard warranty covering the battery packs for a full 8 years/100,000 miles. But even after providing that kind of service to Volt owners, the batteries are still expected to have up to 70 percent of their capabilities remaining when their automotive use has ended. And now, to ensure that doesn’t go to waste—and to help reduce waste overall—GM is teaming with the tech experts at the ABB Group to investigate using the Volt’s batteries to help utility companies better manage the country’s power grid and provide backup power in the case of outages or brownouts.

Specifically, they are looking at ways the batteries can store energy, including energy from renewable sources such as wind and the sun, when consumer demand for electricity is low and then feed it back into the grid when demand increases. In fact, after already proving the compatibility of ABB’s existing technology with the Volt battery pack, the two companies are now building a prototype designed for 25-kilowatt/50-kWh applications—comparable to the power consumption of five typical U.S. homes.

“GM’s battery leadership position doesn’t stop at the road—it extends throughout the life of the battery, including ways we can benefit society and the environment,” said Micky Bly, GM executive director—Global Electrical Systems, Electrification and Infotainment. “As we grow our battery systems expertise, we need to assure we’re optimizing the development of our battery systems with secondary use in mind from the start. Partnerships with organizations such as ABB provide real-world applications that prove what we’re doing is real, not fiction.”