A former vice-president of Tesla is joining second-life battery energy storage specialists, Connected Energy, as the company looks forward to a major expansion.
Ben Hill joins Connected Energy as chairman, bringing a mix of expertise in energy storage, electric vehicles and their batteries, and solar energy. Ben has an impressive industry track record spanning almost 35 years, including starting and building businesses at Tesla, Trina and BP as well as founding or co-founding several businesses.
Matthew Lumsden, CEO of Connected Energy, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Ben to the board of directors as our chairman. Ben brings extensive industry knowledge and experience from a range of different perspectives that will be invaluable as Connected Energy moves through its next phase of growth.”
Connected Energy is a world leader in the use of second-life EV batteries for stationary energy storage applications. Working with the automotive industry, Connected Energy extends the life of batteries after their use in a vehicle increasing their sustainability and value proposition whilst contributing to the circular economy.
The company’s energy storage systems are used to improve grid resilience, support EV charging hubs and optimise renewable energy generation and the company is now scaling up its technology and developing its own utility scale sites.
“Connected Energy is a company on the cutting edge of energy storage using second life batteries, at an exciting time for this industry,” said Ben. “Vehicle OEMs are looking to add financial and environmental value to their end-of-life batteries, while demand for stationary energy storage is growing rapidly across Europe. Connected Energy is at the nexus point, offering a solution for both sides of the equation. It is a huge opportunity and I’m looking forward to contributing towards Connected Energy’s successful growth.”
Ben is a pioneer in renewable energy generation and energy storage and has been a prolific entrepreneur and investor in the sector since leaving Tesla. His expertise has been instrumental behind the scenes of several successful and high-profile energy storage and solar companies across Europe, North America, and Asia, from technology startups to some of the largest manufacturers and IPP’s in the sector.
Erik Johansson, Investment Director, Volvo Group, welcomed the appointment. He said: “Ben Hill’s appointment as Chairman to the board of Connected Energy marks an exciting next phase in the company’s innovation and growth. As a board, we are confident that Ben’s leadership will be invaluable as the company continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in battery circularity. We look forward to supporting the team as they expand their impact across the UK and Europe.”
Connected Energy’s investors include ENGIE New Ventures, Volvo Energy, Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc, Hinduja and Sumitomo. The company was recently appointed as the second life battery partner in a major UK consortium led by Nissan, signed a letter of intent with Volvo Energy with the ambition to jointly develop second life battery energy storage systems, and signed a collaboration agreement with Altilium, a pioneer in EV battery recycling to develop business models for the repurposing and recycling of batteries.
