Jaguar has a clever plan for its pre-owned I-Pace batteries

Partnering with generator specialists Pramac to create portable charging solutions.

Early adopters of all-electric motoring, Jaguar is well on its way towards creating a new circular economy business by reusing EV batteries that have reached the end of their respective working lives. The brand’s all-electric I-Pace has been on the market since 2018.

Partnering with leaders in the global energy sector Pramac, the collaboration forms part of Jaguar Land Rover’s plans to be a zero-carbon neutral by 2039.

Known as an Off Grid Battery Energy Storage System (ESS), the new portable charging solution is built using up to 85% of the components from a “pre-owned” Lithium-ion battery pack out of an I-Pace. Charged via solar and available in for commercial hire in overseas markets, the self-contained units consist of a bi-directional convertor and an associated control management system that allows it to be used either for the charging of an electric vehicle or, indeed, to feed power into a family home.

Offering 125 kWh and rated up to 22 kW AC, the ESS units are fitted with a Type 2 EV charge connection to fit into most modern EVs.

While the Jaguar TCS Racing team has been enjoying the benefits of these portable units during testing for the forthcoming Formula E season, Jaguar Land Rover South Africa’s impressive Experience Centre situated in Lonehill, Johannesburg, has also adopted an ESS system to supplement our market’s currently unpredictable power supply.

Although JLR South Africa has no current plans to retail these ESS units to customers, it's this kind of forward thinking that could prove invaluable - especially in a South African context - when it comes to the adoption of e-mobility in markets where buyers currently have anxiety about not being able to boil a kettle during periods of power disruption.