Editor’s be aware: Redwood will quickly produce cathode from the recycling program. An earlier model of this story misstated that standing of that manufacturing. Redwood additionally clarified that different packs had been recycled outdoors of the California pilot program.
Redwood Supplies recycled greater than 1,000 end-of-life battery packs final yr to provide high-quality battery supplies via a pilot program with California.
The battery recycling firm labored with Toyota Motor Corp., Ford Motor Co., Volvo Automobiles, Volkswagen Group of America and dismantlers to gather and recycle lithium ion and nickel steel hydride batteries in California as a part of a program launched in February 2022, the corporate stated in a press release Thursday.
Redwood recycled the batteries at its amenities in Nevada and has began to provide anode from the recycled batteries that can be utilized by battery cell producers. Redwood will quickly produce cathode from the packs, spokeswoman Alexis Georgeson informed Automotive Information.
Electrical autos accounted for five.6 p.c of U.S. light-vehicle registrations final yr, up from 3.1 p.c a yr earlier, based on Experian. New EV registrations surged 57 p.c to 756,534 final yr.
Redwood’s restricted pilot reveals the potential for battery pack recycling as EV gross sales enhance. The corporate is constructing a closed-loop recycling system to decrease EV prices and counts main automakers and battery producers, resembling Ford and Panasonic Holdings Corp., as its companions.
Redwood labored with California auto sellers, dismantlers and aggregators to get well 1,268 end-of-life battery packs weighing half 1,000,000 kilos. Lower than 5 p.c of these packs had been broken, faulty or recalled, Redwood stated.
The battery packs got here from 19 battery electrical and hybrid fashions by greater than a dozen automakers, Redwood stated. Greater than 80 p.c of the batteries had been lithium ion.
Logistics — transporting the spent batteries safely — is the costliest a part of battery pack assortment and recycling, however growing end-of-life battery quantity will make electrical automobile battery recycling worthwhile, the corporate stated.
The outcomes of this system in California exhibit sturdy demand for accountable end-of-life battery administration, Redwood stated.
“As policymakers throughout the nation take into account proposals to make sure accountable [end-of-life] administration of batteries, we encourage them to incentivize accountable recycling right here within the U.S., just like the insurance policies established by the [Inflation Reduction Act],” the corporate stated in a press release. “We additionally urge policymakers to be conscious that, whereas nonetheless within the early phases, market forces and trade partnerships are already at work to create protected, environment friendly, and sustainable pathways for end-of-life batteries.”
Redwood obtained a conditional dedication final month for a $2 billion mortgage from the U.S. Division of Power to assist construct its $3.5 billion battery recycling complicated in Nevada.