BMW To Buy Back ‘i3’ Batteries From Customers For Home Use Energy Storage

The electric car industry is booming judging by how popular some of the biggest brands in the niche have been. Demand for the “Tesla Model 3” has been phenomenal by the company’s standards and the “BMW i3” is one of the most in-demand luxury, electric vehicles in the world. To capitalize on the exploding awareness of electric technology, these companies are also attempting to bring electric power storage units for home use. BMW is the latest to do this and their plan could include buying back old “i3” batteries from customers.

Digital Trends made the point that BMW is only the newest to join the energy storage game, with Tesla and Nissan being among the most prominent to have an interest in the market. Tesla even beat everyone else out of the gate with its “Powerwall” and “Powerpack” stationary battery packs. Even so, the technology is still young and there is still a lot of room to catch up, particularly for BMW and the old “i3” batteries that are already available.

By collaborating with “Beck Automation” in Germany, BMW was able to create an energy storage unit which they unveiled during Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition 29 that was held in Montreal. Supposedly, there is enough juice in the storage units to power house appliances for 24 hours, and will come in 22-kilowatt-hour and 33-kWh sizes.

Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that BMW will also be using old batteries that have been depleted somewhat and thus are no longer viable for use with vehicles. The concept is called “second-life,” which is what Green Tech Media is pointing to with regards to the possible new source of income for “BMW i3” owners.

If the car maker decides that it will buy old “i3” batteries, it will be profitable for all parties involved.