BMW, University Malaya Reuse Old EV Batteries For Campus Chargers, Rural Electrification

At the beginning of this year, BMW Group Malaysia collaborated with Universiti Malaya (UM) on a research initiative aimed at giving new life to the aging batteries of the automaker's earlier electric vehicles (EVs). The primary objective of this collaboration was to utilize these second-life batteries in two ways: either for rural electrification or to power an on-campus sustainable energy solution.

Today, the two organizations have announced the latter initiative, with the installation of a solar-powered smartphone charging station at the UM Central bus stop. This station is expected to cater to over 3,000 daily users.

The charging station is powered by a 1.5 kWh system, which consists of three battery modules that are approximately ten years old. These batteries are part of BMW's plan to repurpose lower-capacity battery packs, which are more suitable for lighter tasks like device charging. Higher-capacity battery packs, on the other hand, are being prepared for deployment to Pos Sinderut, Kuala Lipis, Pahang, where they will provide off-grid electrification for the Semai Orang Asli community, powering essentials such as lighting, fans, and refrigerators.

In addition to the battery capacity, the solar panels for the charging station were generously donated by a private individual and company. The charging station itself features three USB-C ports and a Lightning port for older Apple devices, with a maximum combined output of 200W and a maximum output of 100W for each individual port.

A group of trained students is monitoring and maintaining the system, and it is designed to remain operational for at least five years. However, these batteries are unlikely to be repurposed for a third-life application due to their current state of degradation. Meanwhile, batteries with higher charge retention, which will be used for rural electrification, can be repurposed once their second-life application is complete.