JLR reusing I-Pace batteries for new portable charger

The device is made using one and a half used I-Pace batteries and has a capacity of up to 125kWh.

Published On Mar 17, 2022 02:15:00 PM

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The ESS uses cells from one and a half I-Pace batteries.

The ESS comes with integrated solar panels.

Jaguar I-Pace and Jaguar Formula-E front static image

The ESS has also been used by Jaguar's Formula E team.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has developed a new portable charging device called the Off Grid Battery Energy Storage System (ESS) that is powered by batteries recovered from the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV.

ESS has integrated solar panels
Comes fitted with Type 2 connectors to charge EVs
Has been tested by the Jaguar TCS Formula E team

Jaguar’s Off Grid Battery Energy Storage System: more details

Developed in partnership with electric equipment manufacturer Pramac, the Off Grid Battery Energy Storage System (ESS) claims to use 85 percent of the electrical hardware from the I-Pace, including components like modules and wiring. The remaining materials are then recycled back into the supply chain.

The device has a capacity of up to 125kWh – enough to power a house for a week in the UK, according to JLR – and can be topped up via integrated solar panels. The Jaguar I-Pace comes with a 90kWh battery pack, so lithium-ion cells from one and a half second-life I-Pace batteries are used to make the ESS. It's rated to discharge at speeds of up to 22kW and is fitted with Type 2 connectors, which is compatible with most EVs.

The ESS is available for commercial hire in the UK, but JLR has yet to confirm availability or pricing details. It is also yet to disclose whether it would be offered in the Indian market.

Second-life battery supply could exceed 200GWh per year by 2030, creating a sub-industry worth over £23 billion (around Rs 2,29,253 crore) in the UK. JLR has pledged to become a net-zero-carbon manufacturer by 2039, and by reusing vehicle batteries, hopes to create a circular business model that keeps its products in use for as long as possible, thereby, minimising battery waste. It has also pledged to explore new potential uses for second-life batteries as it continues to transition to become an EV maker.

However, JLR isn't the first car manufacturer to start upcycling their batteries. Back in 2015, Tesla announced Powerwall, an integrated battery management system that stores solar energy for back-up use with or without solar panels. And then in 2017, Renault partnered with Powervolt to repurpose EV batteries into home energy storage systems, offering this service to customers with existing solar panels.

Use of the ESS in Formula E

The capabilities of this technology were recently trialled by the Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E team, which used the ESS to power its diagnostic equipment and supply back-up power to the pit garage.

“Formula E is the world’s first net-carbon-zero sport since inception, ” said James Barclay, team principal of Jaguar TCS Racing. “Jaguar TCS Racing is always looking at improving our carbon footprint, and using the Off Grid Energy Storage System provides us with an innovative renewable energy solution for testing. To use second-life Jaguar I-Pace batteries completes this sustainable circle and showcases the team’s 'race to innovate' mission.”

Jaguar in India

Jaguar launched the I-Pace electric SUV in India last year, prices for which start from Rs 1.06 crore (ex-showroom, India). Other models in Jaguar’s India portfolio include the XE and XF sedans, the F-Pace SUV and the F-Type sportscar.

Should JLR consider bringing the ESS to India? Let us know in the comments.