Renault EV batteries given second life

The Renault Traffic prototype, displayed along the sidelines of the COP21 climate summit has an electric drivetrain and is fitted with used batteries.

The initiative was developed by Renault and Carwatt and is designed so that if batteries should drop below 75 per cent of their initial capacity, they are removed and replaced with new cells.

Carwatt is converting such batteries to transform used commercial vehicles into electric vehicles (EVs), providing a second life to both vehicle and battery. The company is also examining the prospect of power storage applications for batteries which are still useable, but with a smaller capacity than before.

The news comes as Carwatt, Renault and Paris City Council continue to explore ways of reducing the number of diesel powered commercial vehicles on the roads. Currently, 94 per cent of all commercial vehicles in France are diesel-powered. The plans will involve experimenting with a number of EVs to help reduce urban pollution levels that have become dangerously high in Paris.

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