EV Battery Repurposing for Grid Resilience (with Edward Chiang of Moment Energy)

This is CC Pod - the Climate Capital Podcast. You are receiving this because you have subscribed to our Substack. If you’d like to manage your Climate Capital Substack subscription, click here.Disclaimer: For full disclosure, Moment Energy is a portfolio company at Climate Capital. Our host is Noah Margo-Dermer, General Manager of Climate Capital’s Climate Angels program. CC Pod is not investment advice and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any investment decision.But first: Network Fund & Climate Angels→Invest in the Network Fund. Large fund access with micro-fund minimums.→Join Climate Angels. Sessions w/ top investors, discounted carry, community & more.Don’t miss an episode from Climate Capital!In the most recent episode of the CC Pod, Noah Margo-Dermer sits down with Edward Chiang, co-founder and CEO of Moment Energy, a company redefining how we think about battery life cycles and grid resilience. Moment Energy is a cleantech company building sustainable energy storage systems from repurposed electric vehicle batteries. The company’s mission is to keep people’s lights on while preventing usable batteries from ending up in landfills. Founded by four engineers and entrepreneurs, Edward Chiang, alongside co-founders Sumreen Rattan (COO), Gabriel Soares (CTO), and Gurmesh Sidhu (CPO), Moment Energy is focused on expanding global access to clean, reliable, and affordable power. The company also works with major automakers, including Nissan North America and Mercedes-Benz Energy, to give EV batteries a second life.The company is tackling a growing but underappreciated problem: what happens to electric vehicle batteries when they are no longer suitable for driving. While most assume these batteries are recycled, the reality is more complex and costly. Moment Energy takes a different approach, upcycling these “end-of-life” EV batteries into stationary energy storage systems that can power critical infrastructure for another 15 to 20 years.At the core of the company’s innovation is a highly sophisticated repurposing process. EV batteries are rarely fully degraded at retirement, often retaining 80 to 95 percent of their original capacity. Moment Energy disassembles battery packs, identifies and removes underperforming cells, and reconfigures the remaining modules into new storage systems. This approach extends material lifespan while significantly reducing costs compared to manufacturing new batteries.This process is technically complex due to the variability across EV batteries. Different automakers, chemistries, and usage patterns mean no two battery packs are identical. To address this, Moment Energy has built an advanced battery management system powered by machine learning. By collecting real-world performance data across deployments, the system continuously improves optimization, safety, and longevity across diverse operating conditions.Safety and certification are key differentiators. Moment Energy is the first company in North America to achieve full certification for second-life battery systems, enabling deployment in dense, on-grid environments such as hospitals, data centers, and urban infrastructure. This milestone is critical in an industry where many alternative approaches lack the regulatory rigor required for widespread adoption.The broader impact becomes even more important as electricity demand accelerates from electrification, AI infrastructure, and aging grid systems. Moment Energy’s modular storage units can be deployed directly at the point of need, storing energy during off-peak hours and discharging during peak demand. This reduces strain on the grid, avoids costly infrastructure upgrades, and lowers energy costs.Their systems also support off-grid and remote applications, reducing diesel consumption and enabling cleaner energy access, while providing backup power and peak shaving for commercial and industrial customers.Ultimately, Moment Energy sits at the intersection of energy storage, supply chain resilience, and the circular economy. By transforming retired EV batteries into reliable, scalable infrastructure, the company is extending the life of critical materials while helping build a more flexible and resilient energy system.To learn more about Moment Energy, visit https://www.momentenergy.com/. Get full access to Climate Capital at climatecap.substack.com/subscribe