BMW Group Malaysia today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Universiti Malaya (UM), establishing a strategic partnership to research and develop second-life applications for electric vehicle batteries for rural and community electrification initiatives. The collaboration will see BMW Group Malaysia supply used electric vehicle batteries to the institution’s UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre (UMPEDAC) for research into innovative energy storage solutions, which will be see applications through community engagement and sustainable development projects under UM Community Engagement Centre (UMCares) and UM Sustainable Development Centre (UMSDC) respectively.
This partnership underscores BMW Group Malaysia's commitment to Circularity and Sustainable Mobility, through extending the lifecycle of electric vehicle batteries beyond their automotive use. Through this collaboration, BMW Group Malaysia and Universiti Malaya will explore various second-life battery applications, including stationary energy storage systems and on-campus sustainable energy solutions.
The partnership will include the research and development of technical use cases for second-life batteries, knowledge sharing and capacity building between BMW Group Malaysia's technical experts and UM's faculty and students, as well as opportunities for joint public engagement initiatives.
Benjamin Nagel, Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia, stated: "This partnership with Universiti Malaya represents our commitment to ensuring that our electric vehicle batteries continue to create value even after their automotive lifecycle. By collaborating with one of Malaysia's leading research institutions, we are not only advancing the BMW Group’s commitment to Circularity locally, but also developing solutions that align with Malaysia's broader sustainability objectives. This is about creating sustainable solutions that benefit communities while reducing environmental impact."
Professor Dato' Seri Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Abu Osman, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya, said: "We are excited to partner with BMW Group Malaysia on this groundbreaking initiative. At Universiti Malaya, we have been at the forefront of energy storage research, and this collaboration allows us to work with premium-quality battery systems to develop practical solutions for energy storage challenges. Second-life batteries have tremendous potential to support renewable energy integration and demonstrate the viability of circular economy principles in practice. This partnership exemplifies how industry and academia can work together to drive meaningful innovation that addresses real-world challenges."
By demonstrating the viability of second-life battery applications, the partnership aims to contribute to the development of a circular economy ecosystem within Malaysia's growing electric vehicle sector. This partnership with Universiti Malaya represents another milestone in the company's journey toward sustainable mobility, demonstrating how innovation and collaboration can create lasting environmental and social value.
The partnership builds upon BMW Group Malaysia's ongoing sustainability initiatives under its RE:THINK and RE:GENERATE programmes. In the past few years, the premium automaker has ramped up its sustainability efforts through Circularity principles, focusing on reducing waste and maximising resource efficiency across its business value chain. Partnering with local stakeholders in its business ecosystem, BMW Group Malaysia continues to develop meaningful initiatives in its business processes in a circular manner to reduce, reuse, and recycle.