BMW wants to develop lithium-ion batteries as a new business in the field of private energy storage. WirtschaftsWoche reports that Munich is planning to offer intelligent controlled power devices which will make households independent of the public power supply. The current battery with a capacity of 22 kilowatt-hours can be combined with a solar heating system, which allows the later to use its own energy produced instead of the usual feeding into the grid.

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BMW reacts with the foray into this new business area on the announcement made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who soon plans to offer a comparatively cheap battery for private households and has thus triggered a real hype around the technology. The report says first units are likely to be delivered to customers later this year.

The i3’s new and used batteries can both be used for the energy storage in a household with very limited development and cost efforts.

In 2013, BMW i SVP Ulrich Kranz said the following: “Based on the current international battery projects, the BMW Group is developing an overall strategy for the long-term stationary applications. Instead of being directly recycled, the batteries can be used with their long-term use of potential ideal for sustainable re-use. We at BMW i thereby are also contributing to a nation-wide use of renewable energy.”

[Source: WirtschaftsWoche via Bimmertoday]