South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), comprising Hyundai Motor and Kia Corporation, has launched a pilot project - in collaboration with its Hyundai Engineering Company affiliate, local battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution (LGES), and Wonik PNE, a local battery charging and testing equipment manufacturer - to test an energy storage system (ESS) that uses repurposed end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries to power EV fast-charging stations.

HMG described the pilot project as the first of its kind in South Korea that directly uses end-of-life Hyundai and Kia EV batteries to store energy for EV fast-charging infrastructure.

The demonstration project was launched this week at Wonik’s facility in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, featuring a 200 kWh used-battery ESS (UBESS) built with used battery packs recovered from Hyundai and Kia EVs based on the HMG’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

The system is designed to reduce pressure on the national power grid, and reduce recharging costs, by storing low-cost power during off-peak hours and supplying the electricity to EV fast-charging stations during peak demand hours.

HMG will be responsible for technical verification of the batteries and develop a potential business plan, while LGES will produce the UBESS and assess its performance and safety using its battery diagnostic and management technologies. Hyundai Engineering will be responsible for ensuring the viability of the system and its integration with EV charging infrastructure, while Wonik will oversee equipment operation and technical testing.