Waymo using old EV batteries to power Texas, California

Google-owned robotaxi company Waymo is giving a new life to its old electric vehicle batteries — by using them to fill energy gaps in local grids.

Instead of recycling the retired batteries, Waymo's initiative will squeeze the last drops of electricity from them, and dispatch that power where it's most needed.

B2U Storage Solutions, which Waymo has partnered with on the initiative, says its EV battery storage systems "act as a vital reservoir." They absorb surplus solar power during midday peaks then send it back to the grid during high-demand periods, typically in the late afternoon. 

To begin with, that extra energy will benefit California and Texas, two states in which the company already does plenty of business. Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio are all serviced by Waymo. The Waymo/B2U partnership will deploy hundreds of megawatts of storage capacity across the grids, the companies say.

That's not a huge amount — the greater Los Angeles region receives about 8,100 megawatts of electric capacity from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipal utility — but it can replace the dirty energy often used to support the grid during periods of high demand, from gas turbines to burning trash.

"Our shared fleet of EVs provide a massive opportunity to support the growth of clean energy on the electricity grid while expanding the circular economy," Adam Lenz, Waymo's Head of Sustainability & Environment, said in a statement.