In Paris, a cruise ship gives a second life to the batteries of electric cars

On Monday, November 4th in Paris, the Seine Alliance boat rental service presented the Black Swan. Developed in collaboration with Renault and Green-Vision, this zero-emission boat is equipped with batteries of electric cars. Eventually, it will offer cruises on the Seine.

Despite many environmental benefits, electric vehicles remain highly polluting, particularly because of the metal extraction methods needed to design the batteries. Likewise, not all batteries are recycled when they reach the end of their life. These considerations gave birth to the Black Swan, the first electric boat dedicated to cruises on the Seine.

Give a second life to motor vehicle batteries

Capable of carrying up to eight people, the Black Swan "zero-emission" represents for its designers the future of the fluvial domain. As the Renault Group explains in its statement, it has neither a back-up heat engine nor a generator and operates thanks to two electric motors. The latter is powered by two batteries from Renault vehicles that have completed their "first automobile life". They weigh a total of 278 kilos, which makes the Black Swan much lighter than when it was equipped with a gas tank. Before being installed on the Black Swan, these lithium-ion batteries were reconditioned by the specialized company Green-Vision, which promotes the use of automotive batteries.

The hull of the boat is also recycled since it belonged to a model of the Italian manufacturer Tullio Abbate.

Energy transition and sustainable development

"  We are proud to contribute to the Black Swan project alongside Seine Alliance and Green-Vision. This approach demonstrates, once again, that used as energy storage units in second life, the batteries of our electric vehicles represent an essential lever to accelerate the energy transition  ", explained Gilles Normand, Director of the group's electric vehicle Renault.

According to the Seine Alliance, no fewer than 150 professional boats in Paris can be repackaged like the Black Swan and become more respectful of the environment. The company's goal is to have a 100% electric fleet by 2024.

After a first successful technical presentation, Seine Alliance plans new demonstrations in 2020 - the date when the Black Swan, should be put into service. It will offer private and professional cruises of about two hours on the Seine.

Sources: Renault Group.