Starting in April, Toyota Motor Corporation will sell an electricity management system that uses recycled nickel-metal hydride batteries from hybrid vehicles to Toyota vehicle dealers throughout Japan, the company says.
The systems, which can store up to 10 kWh of power, will be sold via Toyota’s energy business company, Toyota Turbine and Systems.
The fixed electricity storage system weighs about 980 kg and has been undergoing verification tests conducted at the Nagoya Toyopet Otagawa dealership and other locations since February 2012, according to Toyota.
The systems can cut costs for dealerships; Toyota says that the recycled-battery systems reduce the amount of electricity used during peak usage times, halving the cost of electricity and gas used for a single dealership compared to dealerships without the system.
Because backup electricity can be stored and used during power outages during times such as disasters, this system can be used by emergency response centers to power equipment necessary for gathering critical emergency information and to power evacuation shelters.
Among the company’s other efforts to increase energy efficiency: In October 2012, Toyota Motor Sales USA activated a 1.1 MW hydrogen fuel cell generator on the Torrance headquarters campus. The fuel cell will supply about half of the electricity for six headquarters buildings during peak demand, while producing zero emissions.
Toyota received the highest number of clean energy patents for the third consecutive quarter in 2012 Q3, during which the US Patent and Trademark Office granted a record 798 clean energy patents. Toyota’s 71 patents in Q3 — up 25 compared to the second quarter — were primarily in fuel cells at 45 (up 13) with an assist from hybrid/electric vehicle patents at 25, and one solar patent.