Why it’s good that Mazda uses Toyota’s discarded batteries

A smart solution

Electric cars are conquering the world, but that brings with it a new problem: what to do with all those batteries once they are no longer suitable for use in cars? They are often still perfectly serviceable, just not powerful enough to power a car for long periods of time. Toyota therefore decided to take matters into its own hands with the so-called Sweep Energy Storage System.

This system uses battery packs taken from electric and hybrid Toyotas – sometimes even from models declared totaled after accidents. Instead of recycling them or throwing them away, they are reused as huge powerbanks.

Mazda benefits

And where better to test such a system than with a carmaker that itself is already making significant efforts to become more sustainable? The Mazda factory in Hiroshima is almost completely self-sufficient thanks to its own solar power plant and cogeneration plant. Toyota now provides the link that was missing: energy storage that absorbs peaks and troughs in the power supply.

When the sun shines brightly, the old batteries store excess energy. And when it’s cloudy or production is running at full capacity, they feed that energy back. This keeps the system in balance – and allows Mazda to produce more sustainably without depending on the grid.

Don’t recycle, but reuse

Toyota is obviously tackling it efficiently. The Japanese manufacturer uses not only the batteries themselves, but also the inverters that were once in the cars. These are the parts that convert direct current into usable alternating current. This eliminates the need for an expensive, separate inverter. Moreover, the system can handle different types of batteries – from lithium-ion to nickel-metal hydride – regardless of their age or capacity.

Read also: Photo report: In this state-of-the-art plant in Rotterdam, BMW recycles its batteries