Connected Energy develops 5MWh second-life EV battery testing site for buses and trucks

Connected Energy announces it will invest £2 million in a new second-life EV battery testing facility in the UK, combining a 5MWh BESS with multi-manufacturer battery integration and scheduled to open by mid-2026.

Connected Energy is developing what it describes as the UK’s most advanced second-life EV battery testing facility as part of its first wholly owned and operated battery energy storage system (BESS) site. The project marks a step change in the company’s strategy, moving from delivering systems for third parties to owning and operating grid-scale storage assets.

Connected Energy second-life battery testing

The site will be located at Scottow Enterprise Park in Norfolk, close to Connected Energy’s technical centre. Alongside its role as a commercial energy storage installation, the facility will be used to test the integration and performance of batteries from multiple electric bus and truck manufacturers.

At the core of the site will be a 5MWh BESS using second-life EV batteries. By trading energy and providing grid services, the installation will demonstrate how different battery types perform in applications such as energy arbitrage and flexibility services. The first batteries deployed at the site will be supplied by Forsee Power, as announced in May 2025, with additional partners expected to follow.

The project is supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) as part of a wider £2 million programme aimed at improving EV battery reuse and recycling. Once operational, the facility will also generate data on technical performance, grid behaviour and revenue generation to inform future, larger-scale second-life battery deployments.

Matthew Lumsden, CEO of Connected Energy, said: “This development marks the next step in Connected Energy’s growth. Having successfully proven the concept of repurposing automotive batteries as energy storage on a commercial scale, we are now moving to owning and operating grid-scale storage sites, with our first site also functioning as an advanced test facility.”