Nissan recently partnered with affiliate 4R Energy Corporation to launch Reborn Light. The new initiative takes used batteries from the company’s Leaf electric vehicles and uses them to create solar-powered street lamps. Reborn Light looks to solve the challenge electric vehicle manufacturers face when these batteries, which still have energy storage capabilities, fall below automotive requirements.
The 13.8’-tall lighting fixture contains the battery in its base while the solar panel sits above the LED lamp which is positioned at the top if the fixture. The system is off-grid, which offers a benefit to cities in case of a natural disaster. Nissan has begun piloting the lights in Namie, a town devastated by the 2011 tsunami that contributed to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown.
Nissan believes that lighting could be just the first step in finding new homes for old EV batteries. Additional applications could include bringing electricity to rural areas around the world that lack an electrical infrastructure. Expanding this access wouldn’t be exclusive to lighting, it would also help improve medical services or expand the use of educational centers.
Nissan is not alone in finding new uses for these old batteries. BMW recently used 2,600 used EV batteries to build a universal charging system in Hamburg, and Renault created a similar “smart island” that could help cities address surges in power demand.