UC San Diego Wins National Innovation Award for Second-Life EV Battery Charging Project
UC San Diego has been named a winner of the Energy Storage North America (ESNA) 2016 Innovation Award in the “Mobility” category for its groundbreaking energy storage and EV charging project. The award recognizes UC San Diego’s leadership in integrating fast electric vehicle charging with second-life EV batteries and solar energy to reduce strain on the campus microgrid.
Developed in partnership with EVgo, the project combines four DC fast charging stations with a solar roof and two repurposed EV batteries—offering a cost-effective, low-impact charging solution for the university’s growing electric vehicle commuter population. The second-life batteries help mitigate peak energy demand and reduce charging infrastructure costs.
The initiative is also part of the California Public Utilities Commission’s Technology Demonstration Program, which aims to validate the benefits of pairing public fast charging with energy storage. This model enables vehicles to be charged in 30 minutes while minimizing grid disruption and enhancing sustainability.
With more than 200 EV commuters on campus and growing demand for fast, reliable charging, the project has expanded from two to four units and serves as a research and demonstration platform for advancing clean transportation technologies.
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