What uses can a used battery have in a depreciated electric car? Here’s a good example through his role in rail traffic.
The electric car industry is growing at a great intensity as the supply in the market increases. This is causing an increasing number of purely electrical proposals, which encourages the adoption of sustainable products in the medium and long term. Now, what consequences can this proposal have in the medium term in terms of battery replacement? It is a debate that will be very present in society in the medium term.
Interestingly, at the end of the life cycle of an electric car, batteries can serve many other uses. The current problem is presented to us, for example, by a first-generation Nissan LEAF. Considering that a unit launched in 2010 barely offered around 250 kilometers of autonomy per charge cycle, what if there has been a battery degradation of up to 40%? This would be a 100 kilometer drop.
This limitation is very large in relation to the original performance, so a user believes that they have amortized the product in question and will replace it with a much more modern one. What actually happens is that such batteries can have a second life on the market. The key is to discover how it is possible to incorporate this product to another so that it continues to store and supply information for use. For this, there are various applications that arise over time.
What happens if the consumption of electricity proposals skyrockets from now on? In a decade, we can find a supply of batteries of great depth. To take advantage of this excess, the truth is that there are additional uses in which it is expected great growth by the market. In this case, rail traffic may have a great future with this market of batteries, in a certain way, degraded.
Let’s see, therefore, how the rail transport industry can be affected by batteries used in conventional mobility, why it can be a good way to reap the benefits of the circular economy and, above all, why we are faced with a proposal that stands out, on the other hand, for security in unexpected situations.
Batteries from previous generations will have a second life on the market
In Japan, for example, the rail system is leveraging battery packs used primarily in the Nissan LEAF to create emergency solutions. This is nothing more than a kind of energy deposits in order to combat possible blackouts at the crossings at the town level in which there are level crossings. Thanks to this energy supply, it is possible to guarantee the coverage of the lighting and sound service.
At the moment, lead-acid batteries are being used, which are those that had the first-generation variant of the Nissan compact. However, more current solutions, such as lithium ion solutions, could also be applicable. This type of service allows ensure the safety of pedestrians and other users of the tracks in order to avoid run-ins and rail accidents, which, if they occur, usually cause serious material and personal damage.
It may seem like a simple and useful application, but the truth is that this type of proposal is expected to have much more complete functionalities in the future. Can you imagine that a certain locality could be without electricity supply for a few days due to a breakdown? The inclusion of a series of batteries of this class would allow guarantee supply for a specified time, something essential before problems like this.
Other proposals that are being carried out and that will make even more sense
Over the last few months, given the incredible rise in energy supply prices, more and more people are opting for energy storage equipment. This is nothing more than the inclusion of a battery capable of save as much electricity as possible at those points where the price of electricity is lower. If this rises, the home in question will use this stored energy to meet its requirements.
Something similar could happen in hospitals and health centers. Faced with unexpected blackouts, this type of facility has specific batteries to continue offering a service in an emergency. Installing batteries could suppose greater relief in the event of serious failures in supplying power lines for longer periods of time. Here is one of the hypotheses that can generate the most enthusiasm for its use.
We will have to wait a while to see if this type of solution end up culminating in the use of a large number of batteries or if, on the contrary, they end up finding an end to their useful life in scrap yards and specialized centers. And you, would you bet on this type of alternative ideas or do you think that they have already been amortized in their first type of use?
Related topics: Technology
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