Bus in a box: Second life EV batteries help power Extreme E
By Brian Stark – June 16, 2021
Extreme E, an electric off-road racing series that launched this year, garnering ample attention on the world motorsports stage, has a fundamental problem: getting power. Being that the essence of the series is sustainability, racing electric SUVs in remote locations around the world can be problematic when you consider the logistics of the matter.
The series has developed solutions for a variety of these problems, like now utilizing green hydrogen to generate power via fuel cells from AFC Energy that are ultimately used to power the Odyssey 21 EV race SUVs, as well as refurbishing a retired British mail vessel to transport all of the teams race vehicles and equipment from one remote location to another.
But what about power for everything tangentially related to the series? For that, Extreme E is giving a second life to batteries once residing in electric buses.
“We founded the company in 2017, and have since become a market leader in battery storage and E-mobility,” explains Steven Meersman, co-founder and director of Zenobē. “We support companies all over the world in the EV sector, offering full turnkey solutions, which include building, financing, and operation of charging infrastructure, as well as bespoke vehicle and battery financing solutions for EV operators.”
“Extreme E presented a unique opportunity for us, and we both have a vision to use electrification to enable a cleaner, greener future. We presented the idea of powering the paddock using repurposed batteries and it made perfect sense, showcasing sustainable and responsible consumption, aligned with the aims of the Paris Agreement as we head towards COP26, as well as Extreme E’s aims to be net carbon zero at the end of Season 1.”
Extreme E sees EV race SUVs tackle tough conditions in exotic locations from Saudi Arabia to Greenland and beyond.
Meersman continues: “A second-life battery is one that has served its intended life in an electric vehicle and has been repurposed or reused in a new application like it has done with Extreme E. Batteries are removed from EVs when they are no longer suitable for powering the vehicle, but they still have life left for further usage.”
According to Extreme E, second-life batteries from Zenobē – batteries that once resided in Swedish buses – supply power for the broadcast, race, and event control, in addition to the media center.
The Zenobē second-life batteries work alongside another sustainable solution for the racing series in the form of four solar powered battery energy storage systems.
In addition to old bus batteries, Extreme E also uses solar powered battery energy storage systems.
“In the right conditions, the solar panels provide enough power for the command center – the hub of strategic decision-making during races,” Extreme E states. “The other three battery energy storage systems are used to power TV communication nodes around the course – the devices that transmit the signals all over the world so the TV broadcast can be produced remotely.”
(Images courtesy Extreme E)
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