Battery recycling a key to electric cars

Nissan is looking at ways to re-use batteries from its upcoming electric car as it considers the overall environmental impact of its vehicles.

One of Japan’s largest car makers is looking at ways to recycle the batteries and still they’re not even building electric cars yet.

From the opening of the 2009 Tokyo motor show, Nissan-Renault boss Carlos Ghosn said the company was working with partners to look at uses for vehicle batteries after the life of the car, indicating car makers were looking at the often discussed whole-of-life environmental impact of a car, not just its fuel consumption. Ghosn said the latest lithium-ion batteries would retain “70 or 80 per cent” of their capacity after a 10-odd-year life, making them useful as back-up batteries for buildings, among other applications.

“(We’re looking at a) brand new business model to re-use, re-sell and recycle batteries,” said Ghosn.
Ghosn made the comments while unveiling the latest batch of electric vehicles and petrol-electric concepts at the somewhat subdued Tokyo motor show.

The highlights of the Nissan stand included the Leaf electric car that’s due on sale in 2012 and the radical Land Glider that can lean in to corners like a bike.

Ghosn said Nissan dealers in Europe, Japan and the US would begin taking orders for the Leaf electric car early next year, with a view to delivering the first vehicles to customers by the end of 2010.

Like Mitsubishi, which already has an electric car on sale in Japan, Nissan is racing to cement itself as a leader in electric vehicles.

“The race for zero emissions has begun,” said Ghosn. “We are preparing to meet the environmental challenge.”

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/drive/motor-news/battery-recycling-a-key-to-electric-cars-20091021-h81t.html