Staff and Wire Reports
Redwood Materials has launched a comprehensive electric vehicle battery recycling program in California to facilitate the recovery of end-of-life hybrid and electric vehicle battery packs for recycling.
The firm will accept lithium-ion (Li-ion) and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries from the state. Its initial partners are Ford Motor Company and Volvo Cars.
The firm will work with dealers and dismantlers in the state to recover end-of-life packs and then safely package, transport, and recycle these batteries to its facilities in Northern Nevada. These packs will be processed and returned as high quality, recycled materials to the domestic cell production.
The firm expects boosting the recycling and remanufacturing of end-of-life battery packs to new battery materials will help make EVs more sustainable and affordable. Scaling production of EVs from recycled materials can help establish a circular, sustainable and secure supply chain in order to achieve the electrification plans of the US.
Annually, Redwood receives 6 GWh of lithium-ion batteries. It foresees that when EVs begin to retire, the first wave will take place in California as the state has been a leader in transition to electric transportation and has the largest EV markets on earth and the oldest, too.
Official counts estimate that more than 350,000 EVs are on the road in California currently, nearly half of the nationwide total. The state is installing policies to help drive that to a goal of 5 million or more by 2030.
Redwood thus, aims to prepare for this first wave to support the battery market to identify and create pathways for the collection of end-of-use battery packs.
