Nissan and EDF Energy partner to advance low carbon transport

• Partnership to explore combining Nissan second-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries with EDF Energy’s demand side response platform, PowerShift.
• Millions of second-life EV batteries could be used to supply electricity to the grid and cut Britain’s carbon emissions.
• Agreement also covers future collaboration across smart charging, batteries, decentralised generation and grid integration over the coming years.

The UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity and one of Britain’s leading car manufacturers are joining forces to work together on a number of projects that will support the adoption of electric vehicles and energy generation and storage solutions.

Nissan and EDF Energy, the manufacturer’s long-term UK supplier, signed the new agreement in Paris today and the partnership will kick off with a first of its kind collaboration to explore how second-life Nissan electric vehicle (EV) batteries can support demand side management.

Both EDF Energy and Nissan have been at the forefront of developing the market for electric vehicles in the UK and will bring substantial technical expertise to the wide ranging agreement that will support the transition to low carbon transport, such as smart charging, batteries, decentralised generation and grid integration.

The first joint project will see the partners explore the business case for recycling retired batteries from Nissan LEAF into commercial battery storage. The system would see electricity stored in the batteries and released back to the grid using EDF Energy’s PowerShift to react quickly to demand side response (DSR) initiatives. Storage systems offer a lower carbon solution compared to relying on coal and gas power stations to meet peaks of electricity demand on the grid.

The combined system will be trialled to see how it can support on site generation, greater control and flexibility over energy use, and provide additional revenue streams.

Already this year, there are more lithium-ion batteries being installed in electric vehicles than into consumer electronics and demand for electric mobility is only expected to increase, equating to millions of used electric vehicle batteries being available for the energy storage market. These batteries have as much as 70 per cent of their original capacity and will still have more than 10 years of remaining life.

Béatrice Bigois, Managing Director of Customers at EDF Energy said: “The transition to Electric Vehicles provides huge opportunities for businesses and households, which is why we are investing in the best technology and products to help consumers and business realise the associated benefits. In partnering with Nissan, we’re excited to explore new technologies and business models to make low carbon transport a reality now and for the future.”

Francisco Carranza, Director of Energy Services, Nissan Europe, said: “We are delighted to be entering this partnership, which will see Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility strategy continue to support the expanding electric vehicle market and help create a more sustainable energy future in the UK.

“We believe electric cars are just the start, and our second life programme ensures batteries from our cars continue to provide energy storage capacity in other applications – in houses, businesses, football stadiums even – long after their life in cars. It’s an exciting prospect and we look forward to working closely with EDF Energy on these developments in future.”

This partnership comes as EDF President Jean-Bernard Lévy detailed the Group’s strategic plans on electric transport this morning, including its plan to be the leading energy company for EVs by 2022 across its four largest European markets: France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Belgium. 

About Nissan in the UK

• Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Juke, Infiniti Q30 and the 100 per cent electric Nissan LEAF.
• Production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles began in 2012.
• Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than 9 million units with 80 per cent of production exported to over 100 markets worldwide.
• Total investment made and announced since then is over £4.0 billion.
• 495,645 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2017.
• Employment in Nissan’s UK design studio (Paddington, London), technical centre (Cranfield Bedfordshire), manufacturing plant (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear) and sales and marketing operations (Maple Cross, Hertfordshire) now totals more than 8,000.
• A further 28,000 jobs in Nissan’s UK supply chain and 4,000 in its UK dealer network takes the total British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 40,000.

About Nissan in Europe

Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,000 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 660,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, the world’s most popular electric vehicle. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan is leading the field with its vision of Intelligent Mobility. Designed to guide Nissan’s product and technology pipeline, this 360 degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society. Nissan is positioned to become the most desirable Asian brand in Europe.