Nissan gives EV batteries a second life powering camping trailers
The batteries can power a trailer for a week.
Once the batteries in electric cars are worn down beyond the point of being useful to the vehicle, something has to be done with them. Nissan has a novel solution that will help extend the life of the battery by repurposing it into a power source for camping trailers made by Opus.
Nissan's battery recycling solution is made possible by a device the company created called Roam. It's a small cube that is packed with the lithium-ion battery cells pulled from first-generation Nissan vehicles and can be hooked up to an Air Opus trailer. Roam can store up to 700Wh of electricity and offers 1kW of electrical output -- enough to power devices, small appliances, and the onboard lights and heating system in the trailer. Nissan claims that when the battery is combined with a 400W solar panel, it can provide power to the trailer for a week without interruption. The battery can also be recharged in just one hour when plugged into a 230-volt power outlet.
The Nissan Roam presents the possibility of portable power that wouldn't require campers to lug around a generator that requires gas or diesel. It also frees travelers from needing to set up shop at a campsite that has power hookups available. However, for the time being, the Roam is just a proof of concept. While it shows off one possibility for repurposed batteries, the company hasn't announced any plans to mass produce the power pack.
