The Lamar Buffalo Ranch is an off-grid ranch located inside Yellowstone National Park. In an attempt to conserve resources and maintain one of the few pristine pieces of nature in the United States, Toyota gave the ranch 208 reused Toyota Camry Hybrid batteries to store energy collected by solar panels. The solar panels generate renewable energy, which is then stored inside the Camry Hybrid battery packs, which were recovered from Toyota dealers nationwide. Check out the video below to learn even more.
Toyota’s 208 donated battery packs, when used in concert with a set of solar panels, store energy to be used by the ranch’s buildings. Hybrid batteries stop being usable in automobile-grade applications well before their power storage capacity has been depleted. Though Toyota already has a robust battery-recycling program it operates, the partnership with Yellowstone offers a real-world opportunity to extend the life of existing hybrid batteries, with engineers estimating that this sort of re-using could nearly double the total lifespan of hybrid car batteries. This system marks the first time since the ranch was built that it will have access to uninterrupted non-polluting renewable electricity in all its buildings.
“Through our long-standing partnership with Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Park Foundation, Toyota has helped preserve Yellowstone for future generations. Today, our relationship with Yellowstone continues, as more than 200 battery packs that once powered Toyota Camry hybrids have found a new home on the range.” –Jim Lentz, chief executive officer, Toyota North America.
“As exemplified by the Lamar Buffalo Ranch project, Toyota’s mission-driven philanthropic focus and expertise in sustainability will make a difference in Yellowstone for generations to come.” –Karen Bates Kress, president of the Yellowstone Park Foundation.
Toyota has been making big strides in the world of renewable energy lately, and this is yet another way it is responsibly managing resources to get the most out of its hybrid battery packs. If you’re an eco-conscious driver, come visit Marion Toyota, located at 3300 W Deyoung, Marion, to check out all the wonderful new models that Toyota has to offer, many of which are hybrids themselves.
