Waymo Partners with B2U Storage Solutions to Deploy Hundreds of Megawatts of Second-Life EV Battery Grid Storage

Waymo has announced a battery repurposing programme in partnership with B2U Storage Solutions to transform retired electric vehicle batteries from its autonomous fleet into grid-scale energy storage systems serving the communities where it operates. The partnership will deploy hundreds of megawatts of storage capacity across grids in Texas and California, with batteries given a second operational life storing surplus renewable energy during midday peaks and dispatching it back to the grid during periods of peak demand. B2U specialises in large-scale repurposing of EV batteries using patented technology that integrates second-life cells into grid storage systems, providing an alternative to recycling that extends the economic and environmental value of each battery pack.

 

The Circular Economy Case for Second-Life Batteries

 

The Waymo and B2U partnership directly addresses one of the most significant material challenges in the transition to electric vehicle fleets, namely what happens to battery packs when they are no longer suitable for vehicle use but retain substantial energy storage capacity. Rather than routing retired batteries directly to recycling, which destroys significant embodied energy and materials, the second-life model captures the remaining useful storage capacity for stationary applications where the lower energy density and cycle life that makes batteries unsuitable for vehicles is acceptable for grid storage. Adam Lenz, Head of Sustainability and Environment at Waymo, said the shared autonomous fleet provides a massive opportunity to support clean energy grid growth while expanding the circular economy, enabling batteries to provide economic and environmental value to communities long after retiring from the road.

The timing of the partnership is well aligned with the energy storage needs of California and Texas, where Waymo operates robust public services. California is averaging 6.1 hours daily of 100 percent clean power as of 2026, creating a substantial midday solar surplus that requires storage to be usefully deployed into evening peak demand periods. Texas continues to lead the nation in new solar capacity additions, creating a similar storage opportunity as solar penetration increases the amplitude of daily supply and demand imbalances that battery storage is uniquely well positioned to address.

 

Read more: Deep Sky Signs Ten-Year Direct Air Capture Agreement with TD Bank for Over 18,000 Canadian Carbon Removal Credits

 

B2U's Technology and Grid Integration Approach

 

B2U Storage Solutions applies patented technology to integrate EV batteries into grid-scale storage systems, managing the complexity of working with second-life cells that have varying remaining capacities and degradation profiles relative to purpose-built stationary storage products. The Lancaster, California facility provides a reference site where the company's repurposing and integration processes can be observed in commercial operation, demonstrating that second-life grid storage is a viable operational model rather than a theoretical proposition. Freeman Hall, Chief Executive Officer of B2U Storage Solutions, said the Waymo agreement marks a significant milestone in the company's mission to provide integrated repurposing services to the automotive industry, monetising the full potential of EV batteries by providing crucial grid stability as energy demand grows.

The grid-scale deployment model, absorbing surplus renewable energy during midday peaks and dispatching during peak demand, provides the time-shifting function that enables higher renewable energy penetration without curtailment or reliability degradation. Storage systems capable of performing this function at grid scale are in growing demand across markets with high and increasing renewable energy penetration, making the addressable market for second-life EV battery storage likely to expand significantly as autonomous and electric vehicle fleets grow and generate larger volumes of retired battery packs. Waymo's all-electric fleet provides a consistent and growing supply of batteries with documented service histories that simplify the assessment of remaining capacity for second-life deployment.

 

Explore OneStop ESG Marketplace: EV Solutions

 

Outlook for Autonomous Fleet Battery Repurposing

 

The Waymo and B2U partnership establishes an important commercial precedent for how autonomous vehicle operators can manage the end-of-first-life battery transition in a way that captures continued value rather than incurring disposal costs. As autonomous electric vehicle fleets scale across US cities and eventually internationally, the volume of batteries cycling through end-of-vehicle-life will grow substantially, creating an increasingly significant supply stream for second-life storage applications. Fleet operators that develop systematic repurposing partnerships early are better positioned to manage this transition efficiently and to demonstrate circular economy credentials to cities granting operating permits and to the investors and regulators that evaluate their sustainability performance.

Whether the hundreds of megawatts of storage capacity Waymo and B2U plan to deploy can be commissioned on schedule and deliver the grid services needed to justify the investment will depend on the consistency of retired battery quality, the efficiency of B2U's integration processes and the availability of suitable grid interconnection in Texas and California. Sustained delivery would establish the partnership as a model for second-life EV battery utilisation that other autonomous fleet operators and electric vehicle manufacturers may seek to replicate. The convergence of growing EV fleet volumes, renewable energy intermittency challenges and circular economy policy expectations creates favourable conditions for second-life battery grid storage to become a mainstream component of the clean energy transition.

 

 

Source: Waymo