Toyota puts more than 1 MWh of second-life storage into operation

Toyota Motor Corporation aims to drive the energy transition with a second-life project using used e-vehicle batteries: In cooperation with the Japanese energy supplier JERA, the mobility group has put its first large-volume energy storage system in the world into operation, Toyota said in a recent statement. The so-called Sweep Energy Storage System uses the waste batteries of electrified Toyota models - from hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to fuel cells and pure electric cars.

Battery storage plays a crucial role in the expansion of renewable energies: On windy and sunny days, they store surplus energy to make it available at a later time. In this way, a stable power supply from renewable sources can be ensured, which reduces CO2 emissions and paves the way to climate neutrality. The problem is the limited but necessary materials for batteries, such as lithium and cobalt. This is where JERA and Toyota come in, having been talking about technologies to reuse automotive batteries since 2018.

The result is the large-scale energy storage system now in operation. The Sweep Energy Storage System currently has a capacity of 1260 kWh and can deliver electricity with an output of up to 485 kW. By the middle of the decade, Toyota aims to feed around 100,000 kWh of electricity into the public grid. Its sweep function, designed by Toyota's research and development department, enables the use of used vehicle batteries regardless of their capacity. 

JERA is also developing an environmentally friendly recycling process for the lithium-ion batteries of electrified vehicles. Toyota is supporting the project with its expertise in electrification. By collecting used batteries and reusing resources, both companies want to contribute to a resource-conserving society. On the way to climate neutrality, Toyota is relying on various electrified drive systems tailored to the different needs of the users.