Electric Vehicle batteries

[northwest]

Following right along there with my previous thread here is a question: Can I repurpose electric vehicle batteries?

I know I can if they are Lead/Acid traction batteries, but what about Lithium? I would very much like to build a solar array but I wouldlike to be able to store the unused energy too. I was offered an electric vehicle the other day as a battery donor but I didn't know where to start so I passed on it (it was a Transit for the curious) Could I have started anything with the battery packs?

 

[knighty]

yes... but everyone s doing it now so the battery pack prices are high :-(

 

[northwest]

yes... but everyone s doing it now so the battery pack prices are high :-(

Well I was being offered this for free but I didn't know if it would work or not so I passed.

 

[mtt.tr]

Also they can be repaired with cell replacements.

Just you need to artificially age the cells should they be used in high current applications.

For power walls it's not so important

 

[Redsailor]

Battery packs are usually 400v DC with 800v DC on the later ones. You would obviously have to dismantle the pack and rearrange the cells to suit whatever voltage the solar array produces. Think this could get a bit complicated what with all the electro control gubbins in these units. Interesting project though.

 

[James1979]

Well I was being offered this for free but I didn't know if it would work or not so I passed.

It was free. The correct answer was “yes please”

When you say ‘transit’ you mean a Ford? Didn’t know they did one.

 

[redlig]

It was free. The correct answer was “yes please”

When you say ‘transit’ you mean a Ford? Didn’t know they did one.

Agreed ! Never say no to a freeby . How do you think I got the " spares dept." at the end of my garden that is visible on Google Earth. Come in handy........

 

[knighty]

Well I was being offered this for free but I didn't know if it would work or not so I passed.

they're worth quite a bit of money, even when they're knackered

if the battery pack is knackered it doesn't really matter, you'd be stripping it down to individual cells/packs anyway then building a new pack (so you have 48v instead of 400v+)

 

[J1nx]

I stripped down lithium packs to power the house over night with stored solar, works great. I haven’t even bothered to use balancing BMS as weekly checks thus far indicate no variations.

I now have 4 packs running (added one since photo) for approx 14kWh, I have two more to add and as I’ve split up much larger grid storage batteries I have various spares in 12v packs etc now.

 

[cheb]

I hope so, I've recently bought a written off Zoe. My aim is to use it as a powerwall charged by a wind turbine and possibly solar panels. One day. Sometime in the future.

 

[bricol]

What do you tell your household insurance company? Any issues with them about such power density and potential for overly warm issues?

 

[Chriso996]

Have a look at this guy utilising a Leaf battery

 

[Smallfry]

Agreed ! Never say no to a freeby . How do you think I got the " spares dept." at the end of my garden that is visible on Google Earth. Come in handy........

Google Earth ! Shows our abandoned vehicle park too. Luckily now, the trees and bushes are slowly hiding them from snoop vision from above.

 

[J1nx]

What do you tell your household insurance company? Any issues with them about such power density and potential for overly warm issues?

Doubt mine would be covered as recovered cells but they should pay out for the inverter.

These cells are LiFePO4 so no real fire risk, well less so than the other items as mines in a garage with petrol vehicles!

 

[Smallfry]

Wonder if this will be a new thing, EVs being stolen for their batteries ? Not to weigh in, but to do this ?

 

[cheb]

What do you tell your household insurance company? Any issues with them about such power density and potential for overly warm issues?

My plan is to house the removed battery in a self contained isolated non combustible shed.

 

[northwest]

Well, I am going to give him a call and see if he still has them/it. I will get back to this thread if I dismantle the pack.

 

[GRW]

Not that I know/understand the details... but aren't the newer Lithium batteries so-called "Smart" batteries?
Can't this "smartness" mean possible difficulties using smart batteries outside of their original purpose (& with a different charge source)?

E.g. My (2022) e-mtb has a Bosch 625wh battery. The same model bike for 2023 has a "smart system" 750wh battery (both nominal 36vdc).
The bigger battery will fit into the same compartment/frame tube space as my 625wh item.

However, I cannot fit one, because the "Smart" battery won't allow itself to be charged or discharged by anything other than the OEM 2023 charger and motor!

(This is my issue with the way things are going - does a battery really need to be restricted in this way?)

 

[GRW]

Well, I am going to give him a call and see if he still has them/it. I will get back to this thread if I dismantle the pack.

I'd think (as per my previous post ref "smartness") that if these Transit batteries are a generation "pre-smart" (I.e. you can actually USE them) - then snap them up!
The writing is on the wall for being able to re-purpose even batteries, so usable s/h stuff is going to be like rocking horse dung pretty fast.

 

[Kerelise]

What’s the life span of these batteries? We all know power tool batteries often fail - did read while ago that some car batteries good for 300 charge/discharge cycles, is that true? Is it is, how can you tell a dud battery from a decent used one?