Ford and Volvo are the first automakers to join the Redwood Materials electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling program.
Redwood Materials is a startup that recycles batteries. The company’s founder is JB Straubel, the co-founder and former CTO of Tesla.
Redwood Materials now offers EV battery recycling. Ford and Volvo are the first automakers to support the program.
It’s available in California. If the program goes well, it may expand to other states.
The company will accept lithium-ion (Li-ion) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.
The plan is to work with dealers and dismantlers to find and collect the batteries.
The company will collect end-of-life batteries from battery-electric and hybrid vehicles. Then, they’ll recover the materials for use in new batteries.
Redwood Materials said in a press release, “Annually, 6 GWh of lithium-ion batteries or the equivalent of 60,000 EVs, come through Redwood’s doors – most of the recycled lithium-ion batteries in North America today. We’ve been ramping our processes in preparation for the first wave of these vehicles to come off roads and we’re ready to support the battery market in identifying and creating pathways to collect battery packs.”
An EV battery recycling program creates a sustainable system by reusing valuable materials, such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt
It’s essential to recycle EV batteries because rare and expensive materials, such as lithium, are also bad for the environment.
Featured image courtesy of Redwood Materials.
About David Em
David Em is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EV Unleashed, the leading resource for unbiased electric vehicle news, reviews, and buyer’s guides.