EVgo adds second-life batteries to fast-charging system

EVgo has added second-life BMW i3 batteries to its Union City fast-charging station in California to store energy during peak solar hours and reduce strain on the grid. This energy is then used to deliver a fast charge to EVgo customers’ electric vehicles during periods of high demand. The second-life battery system integrates two BMW i3 battery packs into a single housing. Evgo says each battery pack has a capacity of 22 kWh which combines with a 30 kW inverter to offer a 30 kW/44 kWh energy storag
July 18, 2018 Read time: 1 min
EVgo has added second-life BMW i3 batteries to its Union City fast-charging station in California to store energy during peak solar hours and reduce strain on the grid. This energy is then used to deliver a fast charge to EVgo customers’ electric vehicles during periods of high demand.


The second-life battery system integrates two BMW i3 battery packs into a single housing.

Evgo says each battery pack has a capacity of 22 kWh which combines with a 30 kW inverter to offer a 30 kW/44 kWh energy storage system.

Princeton Power Systems provided the inverter hardware and integrated it with the battery packs. Meanwhile, technology company Kisensum developed software controls for the battery system and managed software integration.

The EVgo Union City site began operating earlier this summer and currently has two 50 kW DC fast chargers.

Related Content

  • June 16, 2016
    Electric vehicles accounted for largest share of hybrid and EV battery market in 2015
    According to research by P&S Market Research, the global hybrid and electric vehicle battery market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20 per cent in terms of value during 2016-2022. The report, Global Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Battery Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast, claims that, among the various applications, the electric vehicle segment accounted for the largest share (46.5 per cent) of the hybrid and electric vehicle battery market in terms of value in 2015. Electric vehi
    Read More
  • October 4, 2017
    RAC Foundation: National charge point network needed for electric vehicles
    Potential purchases of electric vehicles with have limited widespread impact without a national charge point network, particularly on motorways and major A-Roads, according to a report by the RAC Foundation. Report author Harold Dermot outlines several challenges that need addressing.Currently, 80% of EV owners have access to home charging, but 93% use the public charging network.
    Read More
  • June 25, 2013
    BMW begins ActiveE project in China
    BMW Group recently brought its ActiveE program to China to prepare for the future commercialisation of electric vehicles in the country. Twenty Beijing residents selected to participate in the project received the keys to the all-electric car they will be driving over the next year. Fifteen users in the southern city of Shenzhen will also get cars at the end of June to give the company an idea of how the model operates in the city's hot, humid climate, balancing the results from the test in the cooler, dri
    Read More
  • August 6, 2012
    GE, Ford, University of Michigan working to extend EV battery life
    GE researchers, in partnership with Ford Motor Company and the University of Michigan, are working together to develop a smart, miniaturised sensing system that has the potential to significantly extend the life of car batteries over conventional battery systems used in electric vehicles today.
    Read More

Highlighted Content