Former Nissan Energy 4R chief joins Samsar Resources board

Samsar Resources added former Nissan Energy 4R President Kent O’Hara to its board as the Texas company expands remanufacturing of used EV batteries into energy storage. The move deepens ties to the automotive industry and underscores the company’s push to scale its circular battery business.

Why it matters: - Kent O’Hara brings senior leadership experience from Nissan, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, Honda and Ford to Samsar Resources’ board. - Samsar is using that expertise to scale a remanufacturing model that turns used electric vehicle batteries into new energy storage products. - The appointment strengthens Samsar’s links to the automotive value chain as the company pushes a circular-economy business model.

What happened: - Samsar Resources announced that Kent O’Hara, former President of Nissan Energy 4R, joined the company’s Board of Directors. - O’Hara previously led Nissan’s reuse and repurpose work for EV batteries and vehicle-to-grid use cases. - O’Hara also led the Nissan team that joined the ChareScape consortium of automotive OEMs. - Samsar is based in Sugar Land, Texas, and operates a factory outside Houston.

The details: - Samsar remanufactures battery packs from Nissan Leaf sedans into other forms of value-added energy storage. - The company says its process captures 90% of the value of each pack by downsizing to modules and performing cell-level quality control. - Samsar says Nissan Leaf batteries fit the model well because of their air-cooled pack architecture and well-understood lifetime performance. - O’Hara’s previous roles included Global Head of Aftersales for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and work at Honda and Ford. - Samsar says it designs batteries for a circular economy and emphasizes Design for Remanufacturing. - The company says remanufacturing lithium batteries can be a profitable alternative to recycling or the landfill. - Samsar says the approach supports a more robust U.S. lithium battery supply chain and conserves rare earth minerals. - O’Hara said he believes optimizing battery lifetime matters on environmental, societal and business levels. - O’Hara said he sees strong strategic alignment between Samsar and Nissan and wants to help the company scale. - Samsar CEO Guillermo Garcia said O’Hara’s board membership cements the company’s automotive relationship and validates its circular business model.

Between the lines: - The hire signals that Samsar wants more credibility with automakers as it moves from prototype to product and tries to scale faster. - O’Hara’s background in battery reuse, resale, refabrication and recycling suggests Samsar is positioning remanufacturing as a commercial category, not just a sustainability play. - The focus on Nissan Leaf packs shows Samsar is betting on a battery platform with known performance and supply characteristics, which can reduce execution risk.

What’s next: - Samsar plans to keep expanding its remanufacturing operations for former EV batteries. - O’Hara said he looks forward to helping the team sustain progress and build a world-leading organization. - Samsar says more information is available at the company’s website.

The bottom line: - Samsar is adding auto-industry experience at the board level as it tries to turn used EV batteries into a scalable remanufacturing business.