Porsche has built a new battery storage system to supply power to its Leipzig plant using used batteries from pre-series and factory vehicles of the Taycan model. This initiative marks a significant step in utilizing second-life batteries for stationary energy storage.
The new storage system comprises 4,400 battery modules, which originate from at least 133 Taycan vehicles. The two-storey Performance Battery Plus, standard in the Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S, contains 33 cell modules, while the regular Taycan and Taycan 4S use a Performance Battery with 28 cell modules. These pre-series and factory vehicle batteries have endured higher loads than customer vehicles, making them suitable for this new application.
Porsche reports that these battery modules, despite their demanding usage in test vehicles, were installed in the energy storage system without any technical modifications. The system boasts a total output of 5 megawatts and an energy capacity of 10 megawatt hours, capable of operating with up to 20 percent overload for short durations. The storage is structured with 4,400 individual battery modules, divided into four battery containers.
The system’s design includes four battery strings, each connected to an inverter and a transformer in a medium-voltage system. This setup is expected to last over ten years, with individual battery modules replaceable as needed. The electricity for the storage system is partly generated by the plant’s solar systems, which have a peak output of 9.4 megawatts. This helps to manage peak loads efficiently.
“We wanted to create electricity storage capacities for the Leipzig plant to make the site even more economical and increase its degree of self-sufficiency. So it was only logical to use batteries from Taycan preseries vehicles instead of recycling them,” said Jonathan Dietrich, project manager responsible for the battery storage system. “We hope to gain insights from the project to equip other Porsche locations with similar systems and capabilities in the future. At the same time, we can utilize batteries from test cars that are no longer suitable for demanding use in the vehicle for a second useful deployment before their final recycling.”
The concept of second-life utilization for electric car batteries is gaining traction not only at Porsche but across various companies and projects. For instance, the EU project Battery2Life aims to facilitate the transition of electric car batteries into their second life as stationary energy storage devices. Similarly, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is experimenting with energy storage systems using used car batteries.
This initiative reflects a growing trend towards sustainable energy solutions, leveraging existing resources to enhance efficiency and reduce waste.
