Toyota Repurposing Old Camry Hybrid Batteries

When a used Toyota hybrid vehicle has worn out its battery, the easiest thing to do with it would be to dump it in a landfill somewhere and move on with a fresh one for the existing hybrid vehicle, but Toyota is much too green an organization to just dump giant hunks of metal in a junkyard. Instead, engineers have found a way to re-use them to power homes and other buildings, with a great test site seeing really nice success at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, U.S.A.

Essentially, these engineers pulled apart all of the old batteries and salvaged what they could from them. Then, they added a few new components, hooked all 208 of them together in a giant wall of power and figured out a way to allow for a water turbine to regenerate that power indefinitely. It's very green, completely self-sustaining, and obviously very innovative.

"Through our long-standing partnership with Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Park Foundation, Toyota has helped preserve Yellowstone for future generations," said Jim Lentz, chief executive officer, Toyota North America. "Today, our relationship with Yellowstone continues, as more than 200 battery packs that once powered Toyota Camry hybrids have found a new home on the range."

It's amazing what the unwanted refuse from a used Toyota Camry Hybrid can generate, isn't it? Right now the new 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid models out there in the world are humming along just fine, but it's comforting to know that when those batteries run their course, they can enjoy a second life. If you're interested in seeing one of these hybrid models in person, stop by Charlesglen Toyota. We'd be happy to show you around our new and used inventory or versatile Toyota vehicles!