Fuso & Connexx to give old eCanter batteries a second life

The initiative is a Japanese endeavour: both Fuso and Connexx Systems are based in the country. Specifically, the partners are planning to use the old batteries from eCanter models as energy storage for the EnePOND EV Charger currently being developed by Connexx Systems. The charger is a battery-supported charger that can slowly absorb electricity from the grid and then quickly deliver it to electric cars.

In February, the first unit is to be installed at Muko City Hall in Kyoto Prefecture, where it will charge the city’s fleet of electric cars. Later in the year, the partners plan to install another charger at Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation’s main plant in Kawasaki (Kanagawa Prefecture). Once the solution has proven its practical suitability, the initiators are aiming for the commercial launch of the EnePOND EV Charger in 2026.

Fuso states that it is driving the initiative forward as part of a planned circular economy. Discarded batteries from the eCanter will first be reused in the aforementioned 2nd life application before being sent for recycling. To this end, Fuso plans to set up a test facility at its main plant to recover materials from used electric vehicle batteries. The aim is to “establish a circular economy of batteries in order to maximize their material value, reduce the total cost of EVs, and
further accelerate the shift to EVs.”

mitsubishi-fuso.com (PDF)