Used Porsche Taycan Batteries Now Power Leipzig Plant

Taycan Batteries Get Second Life as Energy Storage at Porsche Leipzig

Porsche’s “Second Life” concept employs used Taycan batteries as a stationary energy storage system at its Leipzig plant. 4,400 battery modules are set into a system covering an area almost as large as two basketball courts. All EV batteries can have a life after powering the vehicle in which they were originally installed, saving recycling or worse still, ending up in landfill.

The modules were taken from preseries and works vehicles at the end of their service life. Instead of recycling by breaking the individual cells into their constituent parts, the modules are removed from from the battery pack and installed in the stationary system.

Porsche’s aim to become more sustainable extends to consideration the complete lifecycle of the battery, and to the company functions in general. This project came from the minds at Porsche’s Environmental and Energy Management unit, and addresses environmental concerns as well as investigating innovative approaches to energy supply for automotive plants.

It supports the development of a flexible and adaptive power grid.

ABOVE: Taycan Batteries Get Second Life as Energy Storage at Porsche Leipzig

Alwin Schmid, Head of Electrical Engineering at Porsche, emphasised that the project also aims to position Porsche as a leader in the field of industrial energy storage. Schmid, the project’s initiator, collaborated with the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau to conduct a feasibility study, which highlighted the potential for peak load capping, optimisation of self-consumption, and participation in the energy market.

From conception to implementation, the focus has been on combining sustainability with business efficiency. Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG, noted that the storage system was developed to make the Leipzig plant more sustainable in addition to reducing the environmental impact of old EV batteries.

The storage system is made up of several “power cubes,” with a capacity of 5 megawatts and an energy content of 10 megawatt-hours. The system can handle up to 20 percent overload for short periods, comprises 4,400 battery modules, and is organised into four containers, each connected to an inverter and a transformer within a medium-voltage system. Although the setup should last over ten years, individual battery modules can be swapped out if required.

The energy stored comes partly from the plant’s rooftop solar panels, which have a peak output of 9.4 megawatts. To show the way for any large business, but particularly EV makers, the system plays a crucial role in reducing peak loads, a process known as “peak shaving”. Electricity demand has grown due to electromobility, heat pumps, and other electrical consumers and by reducing grid charges and lessening the need for expanded upstream grids, this storage system supports the energy transition.

The stationary battery storage system will become even more important when it is integrated into the balancing energy market by the end of the year. As well as peak shaving, it will function as a grid stabiliser for upstream distribution grids, making it a valuable asset in the energy market.

Since 2021, Porsche’s sites in Zuffenhausen, Leipzig, and Weissach have been carbon-neutral, with all electricity sourced from renewable energy. For instance, the Leipzig plant receives its energy from green electricity, biomethane, and district heating from biomass. Critics of the EV industry have been vociferous in critiquing the environmental impact of obtaining the required resources, and extending the life of batteries emphasises the ability of business to evolve when the critics are unable to.

This project not only highlights the potential of repurposing used batteries and serves as a model for future solutions throughout the automotive industry. Porsche’s project could we play a critical role in shaping the future of sustainable energy management on a wider stage.

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