Allye MEV: 400 kW Fast Charger Built From Second-Life EV Batteries
British company Allye Energy has introduced the Mobile Energy Vault (MEV), a battery-buffered fast charger for depots that uses complete battery packs taken from scrapped electric vehicles. It can charge at up to 400 kW, electrive reported on 30 October.
Key takeaways
- Up to 400 kW of DC charging power, with two vehicles able to charge at once.
- Two versions: MEV200 with 155 kWh of storage and MEV300 with 232 kWh.
- Built from whole second-life EV battery packs rather than new cells.
- Purchase price from about 83,300 euros (£70,000) in 2026, with first deliveries planned for the second quarter of 2027.
How it works
The MEV draws energy slowly from an existing depot connection, stores it in its battery and then releases it to vehicles at much higher power. It is based on the 800-volt architecture of Allye's Max300 mobile storage system and supports both 400-volt and 800-volt vehicles. A system called PackFlex lets packs of different sizes, ages and cell chemistries work together in one unit. The charger can be connected through an industrial socket or a fixed connection and commissioned within a few hours, and it can be dismantled and moved if a fleet changes depot.
There is a limit, however. The battery adds power, not energy. The number of vehicles a site can charge per day still depends on how much energy the existing grid connection can put back into the battery over several hours.
Why fleets may be interested
Allye says new depot grid connections in the UK typically take 18 to 36 months. In one example, waste management company J&M Murdoch in Glasgow was quoted about £300,000 (about 357,000 euros in 2026) for a grid upgrade. Instead, Allye and charging provider Chargepoly installed a Max300 on an existing 32 A connection with 22 kW of capacity. It now feeds a separate DC fast charger for two electric vehicles and supplies about 200 kWh per day, according to the company.
Allye estimates that each unit saves about 15 to 24 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared with a system using new batteries, based on its own calculations. Safety features include pyrotechnic fuses, gas detection, fire barriers between packs, camera monitoring and cables with cut monitoring and quick-release connectors. Besides the purchase price, the MEV200 is offered as a charging service from about 2,260 euros (£1,900) per month in 2026.
What it means for you
For private drivers, the MEV will mostly matter indirectly: more vans, trucks and company cars can switch to electric power at sites where the grid was a barrier. It also shows a growing second life for used EV batteries. Packs that no longer suit a car can still store energy for years, which supports the residual value of electric cars and the case for battery recycling in Europe.
Read our guide to used electric car battery health or visit the electric cars hub.
Sources
- electrive: Allye introduces 400 kW fast charger with second-life batteries (30 Oct 2026) (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
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