Between 1st September and 31st December 2016, FreeWire Ltd using the Phase 1 funding undertook a full feasibility study of Mobi Gen, their intelligent system for mobile energy storage.
The Mobi Gen is a battery-based alternative for portable and standby generators. Portable generators are internal combustion engines used to generate electricity. They are useful when temporary or remote power is needed, and are commonly used in the construction industry, or during cleanup and recovery efforts following disasters. Compatible with any electronics up to 30,000W max draw, Mobi Gen is an alternative generator powerful enough for film production, construction, emergency response, and more.
In industries heavily relying on portable diesel generators as construction, Mobi Gen cuts down 72% of the fueling costs helping users saving up to €4,490 per year . Moreover, less time and less money spent on maintenance of these battery systems results in an overall lower total cost of ownership. As no fumes are emitted, Mobi Gen systems are compliant with the latest Stage V air quality regulation. Noxious fumes, and running hundreds of metres of cable from diesel generators are all things of the past – the Mobi Gen can be used in-field applications and even indoor without permitting. Moreover, in Mobi Gen no sound attenuation is needed. Everything in the Mobi Gen is completely quiet and vibration-free, even when the battery system is running under full load. The indicator light is there to tell if the system is on.
For Mobi Gen, FreeWire has developed a proprietary method to test, grade, and repackage Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries into a purpose-built battery pack. Batteries are susceptible to time and age, with their life span depending on chemistry and use. In EVs, batteries are usually charged and discharged at very fast rates. Frequently, those batteries have to endure adverse circumstances of high and cold temperatures. Typically batteries capacity will decrease to about 80% of the original capacity after five to seven years, depending on a number of factors like their design, working temperature, charge protocol and state of charge. While an electric car battery with 80% capacity will significantly limit driving range, it will still retain enough capacity for use in other less stressful applications. Here it’s where FreeWire’s technology comes into play: FreeWire stocks its Mobis with repurposed batteries from EVs like the Nissan Leaf and is able to recapture up to 10% of the lost energy of the pack.
