Rivian and Redwood deploy 10 MWh of second-life battery storage at Illinois factory

Rivian and Redwood Materials have collaborated to install a 10 megawatt-hour second-life battery storage system at Rivian’s manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. This innovative setup repurposes over 100 retired Rivian battery packs, marking the largest such system deployed by a US automotive manufacturer. The stationary energy storage, known as a Redwood Energy system, is managed by Redwood’s proprietary Pack Manager technology, enabling efficient on-site energy dispatch during peak demand periods. The system allows Rivian to reduce reliance on grid electricity by drawing power from its own retired battery packs, which remain functional beyond their automotive lifespan. EV battery packs are designed to endure hundreds of thousands of miles, often retaining significant capacity after vehicle retirement. By repurposing these packs for stationary storage, the companies extend the batteries’ useful life, delay recycling, and avoid the expense and time associated with building new energy infrastructure. RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and CEO, emphasised the environmental and strategic benefits of the partnership, highlighting how it maximises battery utility beyond vehicle use while supporting grid stability and American industrial competitiveness. Redwood Materials’ co-founder JB Straubel pointed to the urgent need for additional energy capacity as electricity demand grows faster than grid expansion, noting that repurposed EV batteries can quickly provide dispatchable energy to support manufacturing and alleviate grid strain. Looking ahead, both Rivian and Redwood see significant potential for scaling this approach as more retired battery packs become available, offering a faster and more sustainable alternative to constructing new storage facilities. This initiative not only showcases a practical circular economy model within the EV sector but also represents a promising step towards integrating electric vehicle technology with broader energy infrastructure challenges.