Nissan and Ecobat Solutions UK have partnered to explore how Nissan LEAF batteries can be located within the UK salvage network and safely recovered.

The EV batteries will be repaired, recycled or repurposed to creation a sustainable circular energy economy, the conpany says.

The Strategic Pilot Agreement combines Nissan’s battery expertise and Ecobat’s recycling knowledge.

Nissan says it could also then offer those second life products to market with the added reassurance of an official manufacturer warranty.

The project supports Nissan’s aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 across its operations and the lifecycle of its products.

Alan Low, EV Battery Circular Economy Manager at Nissan Energy Services, said: “Nissan takes its obligations seriously and is keen to recover batteries in a good state of health from any LEAF batteries that are no longer required.”

Once located, batteries are assessed and recovered to Ecobat’s Darlaston base, near Birmingham, using specialist vehicles.

Tom Seward, EU Key Accounts Director (Northern & UK) at Ecobat Solutions UK Ltd, said: “This is a critical piece of the EV sustainability picture that has real environmental benefits. We even recover any energy stored in the salvaged battery and use it to provide power to the onsite EV charger network at our site.”

Since opening in 2021, Ecobat’s UK Diagnostic and Disassembly Centre has processed over 6,000 batteries and performance graded more than 14,000 modules.

This year, the company will open its third Li-Ion recycling facility in the UK, further increasing the amount of batteries that can be processed in the UK.