Used Waymo Robotaxi Batteries Become Backup Storage For Power Grids (arstechnica.com)
(Friday June 05, 2026 @03:00AM (BeauHD)
from the new-lease-on-life dept.)
- Reference: 0183602832
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/06/04/1955206/used-waymo-robotaxi-batteries-become-backup-storage-for-power-grids
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/06/used-waymo-robotaxi-batteries-become-backup-storage-for-power-grids/
Waymo and B2U Storage Solutions have [1]struck a "strategic supply agreement" to [2]repurpose used batteries from Waymo's electric robotaxi fleet into stationary storage for California and Texas power grids. The arrangement could give robotaxi batteries a second life storing renewable energy after they're no longer suitable for vehicle use. It will also "support B2U projects in regions where Waymo's autonomous robotaxis operate -- meaning the used Waymo batteries could bolster the local power grids that Waymo vehicles rely upon for charging," reports Ars Technica. From the report:
> Waymo's "proactive maintenance" for its autonomous vehicles includes identifying opportunities to "refresh the battery to improve efficiency overall for our fleet," Adam Lenz, head of sustainability and environment at Waymo, told Ars. "That's when we look to these second-life applications, because there's still a lot of life left in the battery," he said.
>
> Waymo did not specify the average mileage at which it swaps out batteries or retires vehicles from service. But Waymo robotaxis drive around much more each day than the typical EV, which means the Waymo fleet is likely to experience faster [3]usage-related degradation of battery capacity over time. The company confirmed to Ars that "some of these vehicles have now been serving riders for years and have mileage beyond what a normal consumer drives."
>
> [...] "Put a little haircut on that in terms of degradation and the effective capacity that would be left in those batteries when they're suitable for repurposing, and we're still talking about pretty significant capacity per battery," Hall said. The growing Waymo robotaxi fleet could lead to "pretty large numbers in terms of megawatt hours of capacity that can be deployed pretty quickly" for stationary energy storage supporting power grids, he suggested.
>
> The agreement gives Waymo discretion over when and how many used batteries will be turned over to B2U. But the companies confirmed that B2U has "already started receiving smaller initial quantities of batteries" from the Waymo fleet. Over time, the agreement could give B2U "hundreds of megawatt-hours" of additional storage capacity from Waymo's thousands of electric vehicles, Lenz said.
[1] https://waymo.com/blog/2026/06/b2u-partnership
[2] https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/06/used-waymo-robotaxi-batteries-become-backup-storage-for-power-grids/
[3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01675-8
> Waymo's "proactive maintenance" for its autonomous vehicles includes identifying opportunities to "refresh the battery to improve efficiency overall for our fleet," Adam Lenz, head of sustainability and environment at Waymo, told Ars. "That's when we look to these second-life applications, because there's still a lot of life left in the battery," he said.
>
> Waymo did not specify the average mileage at which it swaps out batteries or retires vehicles from service. But Waymo robotaxis drive around much more each day than the typical EV, which means the Waymo fleet is likely to experience faster [3]usage-related degradation of battery capacity over time. The company confirmed to Ars that "some of these vehicles have now been serving riders for years and have mileage beyond what a normal consumer drives."
>
> [...] "Put a little haircut on that in terms of degradation and the effective capacity that would be left in those batteries when they're suitable for repurposing, and we're still talking about pretty significant capacity per battery," Hall said. The growing Waymo robotaxi fleet could lead to "pretty large numbers in terms of megawatt hours of capacity that can be deployed pretty quickly" for stationary energy storage supporting power grids, he suggested.
>
> The agreement gives Waymo discretion over when and how many used batteries will be turned over to B2U. But the companies confirmed that B2U has "already started receiving smaller initial quantities of batteries" from the Waymo fleet. Over time, the agreement could give B2U "hundreds of megawatt-hours" of additional storage capacity from Waymo's thousands of electric vehicles, Lenz said.
[1] https://waymo.com/blog/2026/06/b2u-partnership
[2] https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/06/used-waymo-robotaxi-batteries-become-backup-storage-for-power-grids/
[3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01675-8
Re: (Score:1)
> just how long will an EV owner drive before running face first into that five-figure maintenance bill? Will that be before or after the 7-year auto loan is paid on an asset that has depreciated like milk..
From the article on why they're able to use the batteries after just 10 years:
> Waymo did not specify the average mileage at which it swaps out batteries or retires vehicles from service. But Waymo robotaxis drive around much more each day than the typical EV, which means the Waymo fleet is likely to experience faster usage-related degradation of battery capacity over time.
But since you asked, this shows batteries in EV's driven by consumers last 15-20 years: [1]https://www.evconnect.com/blog... [evconnect.com]
[1] https://www.evconnect.com/blog/how-long-does-an-electric-car-battery-last/
Re: (Score:2)
Yet copilot says this:
A modern internalcombustion engine (ICE) typically lasts 250,000–400,000 km with normal maintenance, and many reach 500,000 km or more depending on engine type and care.
For one thing, you stay away from automakers that have engines lasting only 200,000 km unless the vehicle is really cheap. All the data is out there so it's your fault if you buy an unreliable vehicle. 'Normal maintenance' these days is basically oil changes a couple times a year. You drive in, wait 15 m
Re: (Score:2)
Did you really just try to make a point by citing Copilot ? Why didn't you just slaughter a chicken and read the entrails?
Re: (Score:2)
good grief, nice display of ignorance of EV batteries. 1. Batteries have at least a 7 year warranty. 2. Batteries can have faulty cells/modules replaced therefore no need for a full replacement.
Re: (Score:2)
Or the whole pack gets replaced with the old but still good cells going on to the second hand market for other uses.
Re: (Score:2)
So this leads me to the question.... if cells can be replaced that easily, why isn't it being done for Cybercabs?
Re: (Score:2)
I think these are their iPace taxis, so they will be LG Chem batteries. They have proven to be quite reliable in other vehicles, with similar packs in Kia cars holding up well at 350k miles. For comparison, petrol engines typically last 150-200k miles, but need extensive maintenance to get that far. Regular oil changes, spark plugs, coolant, fuel and air filters, all sort of stuff.
Anyway, assuming that Waymo has been pushing them hard, rapid DC charging regularly, they are probably somewhere in the 250-300k