British green-tech start-up Allye Energy has launched a new high-capacity battery energy storage system (BESS) that uses repurposed EV battery packs with mixed chemistries.
The MegaMAX range—MAX1000 and MAX1500—comprises up to 18 EV batteries in a self-contained, modular ‘drop and go’ solution designed to circumvent delays associated with grid upgrades.
Each MegaMAX integrates three Allye MAX300 structures into a unified system with inherent redundancy and a fully liquid-cooled thermal management system.
One key use case is as a buffer for EV charging where grid access is constrained—an issue Connected Energy has also addressed using second-life EV batteries to power electric HGV charging.
Allye claims that 50–80% of electrification projects face severe power limitations, echoing similar challenges seen in the UK’s renewable energy sector.
To support electrification, Mike Hawes, CEO of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has urged the government to apply the same grid connection acceleration used for solar and wind to EV charging infrastructure.
Allye partnered with SYNETIQ in January 2023 to use batteries from decommissioned vehicles in its MAX range. The MAX systems use nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries.
According to COO Jack Levy, the company aims to incorporate solid-state and cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries, with a longer-term goal of transitioning to sodium-ion technologies, potentially eliminating lithium altogether.
Allye is part of a consortium with OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Science and Negal Engineering AG, receiving £650,000 from Innovate UK to develop portable, modular home BESS.
Meanwhile, Connected Energy has deployed second-life battery systems at Volvo Trucks workshops, solving grid import limitations for their EV chargepoints.
With truck charging needing up to 50x more power than car chargers, grid limitations are a major obstacle. Connected Energy is also exploring grid-scale BESS using batteries from electric buses.
Other innovations include flywheel energy storage systems (FESS), currently in a commercial trial with National Highways and Levistor, targeting motorway EV charging in low-capacity grid areas.