Nissan and its affiliate 4R Energy Corporation have teamed up with the town of Namie, Japan, to install new streetlights that will be powered by a combination of solar panels and used batteries from the automaker's Leaf electric car.
The project, titled The Reborn Light, aims to provide public lighting for Namie's residents as part of the town's recovery efforts following the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, 2011. The project makes use of the growing number of used electric car batteries that will become available as electric vehicles increase in popularity around the world.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Following the 2011 disaster, a number of Leaf vehicles were used to provide emergency electric power
Nissan and 4R have developed a new type of outdoor lighting that operates completely off the main power grid, requiring no electric cables or outlets. A prototype will be tested on Monday (26 March) at the 4R battery reclamation factory in Namie, with full scale installation beginning later in 2018.
Nissan Europe is also using used Leaf battery packs in new home power technology, in conjunction with solar panels, that can store electricity and even return surplus 'lecky to the grid in times of high demand.
