Tesla Co-Founder Is Using Old EV Batteries For AI Data Centers

Redwood Materials' Innovation - Redwood Materials is repurposing second-life EV batteries for energy storage, creating the world's largest deployment of reused transportation batteries and a significant microgrid in North America [1] - The company's microgrid provides a low-cost energy solution for data centers, addressing the critical need for power in AI computing [2] - Redwood's approach offers a new vision for sustainable energy by reusing batteries before recycling them, extracting additional value [4] - Redwood's recycling operations have grown significantly, increasing material processing by almost 20 times in four years [5] Market Opportunity and Demand - The energy industry seeks 24/7 renewable power, and Redwood's solution addresses the high cost of batteries, making it more feasible [5] - Data center electricity demand is rapidly increasing, with AI estimated to drive a 165% increase by 2030, creating a significant market for Redwood's microgrids [23][27] - Redwood's microgrids can be deployed rapidly, bringing up new data centers in less than five months without grid connection [25] - The company has over 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of reusable batteries in its inventory, equivalent to 12,500 EVs, and is designing projects up to 10 times the size of its pilot microgrid [33] Competitive Advantages and Strategy - Redwood's circularity, stemming from its battery recycling background, offers a unique appeal by using batteries that would otherwise be scrapped [13] - Redwood's "universal translator" technology allows it to integrate battery packs from various manufacturers [16] - The company aims to provide energy storage solutions at potentially half the cost of new lithium-ion batteries, despite higher management costs [30] - Redwood estimates that second-life batteries could contribute significantly to the U S grid's energy storage mix, potentially upwards of 50% for decades [35]