Vianode, a Norway-based advanced battery materials company, has launched its first high-performance solution based on recycled graphite as part of its next-generation material series, the company announced March 18. The innovative product is based on recycled battery-grade graphite and is designed to meet growing demand for sustainable electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, it said. According to Vianode, recycled graphite can enable North American and European battery and EV manufactu...

Nissan and Stena Recycling have forged a strategic partnership aimed at advancing the reuse of second-life electric vehicle batteries in Norway, a country with over 80,000 Nissan LEAFs on its roads. This collaboration seeks to establish a new value chain for batteries that are deemed unsuitable for vehicular use but still hold significant value. Leveraging Stena Recycling's expertise with Nissan's EV technology, this partnership is poised to create a circular business model that enhances the ...

Altilium Metals, a UK-based battery material recycling company, has achieved a significant breakthrough on using recycled battery materials for producing electric vehicle battery cells. In an announcement on March 17, the company said that the UK's first EV battery cells were produced using recycled cathode active materials (CAM) at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry. This development is seen as a crucial step toward establishing a circular economy for EV batteries in...

Novelis, a leader in flat-rolled aluminum products and the world's largest recycler of aluminum, has produced the first-ever aluminum coil made entirely from 100% recycled, end-of-life automotive scrap, the company said in a press release on March 13. This breakthrough product, designed for the European automotive market, represents a significant move toward sustainability and circularity in the automotive industry. The material, intended for car body outer skin applications, satisfies the indus...

The automotive industry is transforming as it faces sustainability pressures and must adapt to changing market dynamics. Recently, the focus on sustainability has intensified due to regulatory requirements, consumer demand for greener products and the urgent need to combat climate change. The S&P Global Mobility 2025 Supplier Outlook highlights the sustainability practices being adopted across the automotive supply chain. The growing pressure for sustainability Luz Mauch, executive vic...

As reported in a press release on March 5, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corp. celebrated the completion of a new back-end production facility focused on automotive power semiconductors at Himeji Operations — Semiconductor, located in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. This development will significantly enhance the facility's production capacity for automotive power semiconductors, more than doubling the numbers seen in fiscal year 2022, with the commencement of full-scale product...

A number of industry players have come together to establish BeyondBattRec project, which will focus on developing innovative battery recycling technologies to promote a circular economy in Europe. According to a press note released by Acid GmbH on March 3, the BeyondBattRec consortium is led by Aalborg University in Denmark, along with 12 leading partners from seven countries, including Varta Microbattery GmbH, Siemens, Accurec Recycling GmbH, Andaltec, UVR-FIA GmbH, Shift Materials, Univers...

Altilium Metals Ltd., a UK-based battery recycling startup, has appointed David Cartwright as the new managing director in a move to strengthen the top leadership team, the company announced March 2. Cartwright brings with him the experience of serving the chemicals industry for four decades, steering complex chemical projects with extensive management background. According to Altilium, Cartwright is expected to play a pivotal role in driving the next phase of the company’s ambitious growth...

UK-based battery material recycling company Altilium Metals Ltd. has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Talga Group to supply recycled graphite for use in electric vehicle battery anode products, Altilium announced Feb. 27. Under the MOU framework, Altilium will supply Talga with up to 16,000 metric tons of recycled graphite over three years, commencing 2026. The collaboration between Altilium and Talga is also aligned with the EU’s sustainability goals and pol...

Munich-based battery material recycling startup Tozero has successfully completed a battery cell test using 100% recycled graphite at industrial scale, achieving a major breakthrough in Europe, the company announced Feb. 13. The startup claimed that it is the first to achieve this at an industrial scale in Europe, where mostly, other companies have only achieved limited or lab-scale success in the battery recycling space. The development proves the viability of graphite as an anode material f...

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., a leading global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company, has partnered with a major auto original equipment manufacturer to recycle lithium-ion battery manufacturing scrap at its Germany-based spoke facility, Li-Cycle announced Jan. 30. Without disclosing the name of the company, Li-Cycle said that this exclusive agreement is with a high-performance, luxury vehicle OEM. The agreement is focused on supplying Li-Cycle’s Germany Spoke with feedstock originating ...

Ace Green Recycling Inc., known for its sustainable battery recycling technology, has entered into a strategic partnership with Spiro, Africa's largest electric vehicle company, to support the circular battery value chain in Africa. This collaboration will involve Ace recycling Spiro's end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, and waste from Spiro's battery manufacturing operations. As part of the agreement, Spiro has designated Ace its exclusive glo...

TNO, an independent statutory research organization based in the Netherlands, announced Jan. 21 that it is collaborating with SusPhos BV to jointly work toward establishing an economically viable recycling process for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Both companies are part of an industrywide consortium called Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI) and are already working together, along with other partners, in a program named Green Chemistry and Circularity. TNO said tha...

Altilium, a UK-based battery recycling startup, has raised $5 million from leading Japanese trading and investment group Marubeni Corp., as part of its Series B funding round, the company announced Jan. 7. The investment marks a significant milestone in Altilium’s growth strategy and supports the company’s mission to deliver the UK’s most sustainable lithium-ion battery materials, through its full battery circularity offering, encompassing zero-carbon EV battery collection, black mass r...

Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on recycling of critical battery materials, has signed a partnership agreement with Helm AG, a chemicals company, through its UK subsidiary LevertonHELM Ltd. to jointly work on building a sustainable domestic lithium supply chain in the UK, Altilium announced Jan. 14. The partnership aims to combine Altilium’s expertise in recovering battery materials from spent batteries with LevertonHELM’s advanced lithium production capabilities. Acco...

BMW Group announced Jan. 13 that it plans to expand its battery recycling business partnership with SK tes to the US-Mexico-Canada region as early as 2026. BMW had launched a pan-European partnership with SK tes, a leading provider of innovative technology life-cycle solutions, on Nov. 1, 2024. The latter’s special recycling process recovers cobalt, nickel and lithium from used batteries before returning them to the value chain to make new batteries. BMW’s expansion of closed-loop batt...

India-based battery recycling company Ace Green Recycling Inc. has announced the finalization of a lease agreement for creating the country's largest battery recycling facility near the strategic port of Mundra in Gujarat, India. This facility will enhance Ace's existing Indian operations that have been focused on recycling lithium-ion batteries, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries, since 2023. The company aims to establish a capacity of recycling 10,000 metric tons of LFP batt...

Blue Whale Materials (BWM), a company specializing in advanced lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery recycling, has been awarded over $55 million by the US Energy Department's Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Program. This funding is part of BWM's broader $110 million expansion effort aimed at enhancing its facility in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The expansion is set to generate 150 perman...

American Battery Technology Co. (ABTC), an integrated critical battery materials company that is commercializing its technologies for both primary battery minerals manufacturing and secondary minerals lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery recycling, announced Dec. 18 that it has received a $144 million contract award of federal investment from the US Energy Department (DOE) to set up a new battery recycling facility. These funds are awarded to ABTC and its subcontractor Argonne National Laboratory to ...

Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA), part of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) R&D, has been selected for a $4.5 million funding grant from the US Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. This funding is allocated under the Catalyzing Innovative Research for Circular Use of Long-lived Advanced Rechargeables Program aimed at bolstering a domestic, circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries. TEMA's Toyota Research Institute of ...

In a press release dated Dec. 11, SK Chemicals announced that it has successfully utilized circular recycling and bio-based materials in automotive components, in collaboration with Hyundai-Kia's AVP Division and Basic Materials Research Center, marking a significant advancement in the circular economy within the auto industry. This collaboration led to the development of the Kia EV3 Study Car, which featured six types of automotive parts made from these sustainable materials. The projec...

Cyclic Materials, an emerging leader in the advanced metals recycling industry focused on creating a circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical metals, has entered into a significant multiyear offtake agreement with global natural resources company Glencore. This deal pertains to the supply of recycled copper, produced at Cyclic Materials' Spoke operations. The partnership is aimed at bolstering sustainable practices within the rare earths sector and promoting the...

US-based battery material recycling company Ascend Elements plans to commence production of sustainable lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) recovered from used lithium-ion batteries at its facility in Covington, Georgia, in 2025, the company announced Dec. 10. The company said that it plans to produce up to 3,000 metric tons of sustainable, domestic Li2CO3 per year. It claimed that recycled Li2CO3 is not produced at a commercial scale anywhere in the US, making it the first company to do so. The on...

As reported in a press release on Dec. 9, Valeo and CEA have announced a four-year collaboration to anticipate future technological advances and encourage exchanges within the French and European research ecosystems. Valeo and the CEA have been involved in joint research and development programs for more than 10 years. They are joining forces to address five key trends that are in line with Valeo’s innovation and sustainability strategy and the CEA’s mission to design and develop cut...

Tennessee Tech University has received a grant of nearly $5 million from the US Energy Department for developing advanced electric vehicle battery recycling technology. The project, led by Pingen Chen, an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the university, focuses on developing a mobile preprocessing hub. This hub is designed to enhance battery recycling processes at local collection sites by simplifying the procedure and improving the extraction and reuse of valuable raw mater...

Toshiba Corp. has developed a low-cost and sustainable method for recycling lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery oxide anodes, the company announced Nov. 6. The company said that it has developed a direct recycling method that enables the recycling of high-power, long-life oxide anode Li-ion batteries through a simple heat treatment process. It has also demonstrated the effectiveness of its innovative recycling method. Toshiba’s innovation on battery recycling is aligned with the EU Battery Regulat...

In a press release on Dec. 4, DENSO announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Canatu to further the practical application of carbon nanotube technology, a move aimed at enhancing autonomous driving technology and promoting carbon neutrality. The partnership is set to build on the companies' existing collaborations, especially in overcoming visibility issues in vehicles caused by frost and condensation through the development of transparent conductive films. Carbon nanotubes, known fo...

In a press release dated Nov. 27, BMW Group announced that it is advancing its commitment to the circular economy by constructing a Cell Recycling Competence Centre (CRCC) in Kirchroth, Lower Bavaria, focused on pioneering "direct recycling" of battery cells. The new facility's construction is set to begin in the second half of 2025, with the goal of validating the recycling method in near-series processes. This method, innovated internally by the BMW Group, allows for the mechanical dis...

Canada-based Neo Battery Materials Ltd., a low-cost silicon anode materials developer, has joined a consortium that includes major battery value chain companies and universities in a C$20 million recycled silicon battery project organized by the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), the company announced Nov. 20. In a project titled Recycled Silicon-Based High Energy Density Electrode Manufacturing Technology Development, MOTIE and the Korea Evaluation Institute of...

UK-based battery recycling company Altilium has announced a major breakthrough in the development of the UK’s only domestic supply of sustainable low-carbon battery materials. In a press note on Nov. 18, the company said that for the first time, test results have confirmed that its recycled cathode active materials (CAM) are comparable to commercially available battery materials in the market. According to the company, these results mark a significant milestone in the development of a susta...

Webasto, a leading global system supplier for the automotive industry, has deployed second-life batteries at its Schierling plant in Germany, as part of the factory’s larger sustainability strategy, the company announced Nov. 7. The battery storage system deployed by Webasto has a capacity of 1 MWh. The storage system uses 30 second-life constant voltage (CV) standard batteries, which mainly come from preseries production and are now used for energy storage, the company said in its press no...

Dow, a global leader in materials science, and Guangdong Delian Group Co. Ltd. (Delian Group), entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) resins within the automotive sector, promoting the move toward a more circular economy, Dow announced in a press release on Nov. 12. This collaboration comes after Delian Group's successful integration of Dow's REVOLOOP Recycled Plastics Resins in its auto care product packaging, representing the...

Kreisel Electric has announced a partnership with BASF to develop a closed-loop battery recycling system in Europe, aimed at supporting the development of next-generation batteries while adhering to sustainability practices. This collaboration is in line with Kreisel's commitment to sustainability and aims to advance battery recycling processes amid increasing demands for recycling efficiency driven by EU regulations and global sustainability goals. Kreisel prides itself on exceeding the...

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., a leading global lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery resource recovery company, has entered into an agreement for a loan facility of up to $475 million (including up to $445 million of principal and up to $30 million in capitalized interest) through the US Energy Department (US DOE) Loan Programs Office’s (LPO) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program, the company announced Nov. 7. This is the first DOE loan facility to be finalized for a Li-ion battery ma...

Amara Raja Energy and Mobility Ltd. is set to begin commercial operations at its new lead acid battery recycling plant in Tamil Nadu, India, by the end of November. This move is part of the company's strategy to increase the use of recycled lead sources in its manufacturing processes. The plant, which is a project of subsidiary Amara Raja Circular Solutions located in Cheyyar, Tamil Nadu, aims to eventually meet 25-30% of Amara Raja's overall raw material needs. The facility, with an initial ...

The US government, as part of its Investing in America agenda, has announced a new funding initiative facilitated by the US Energy Department (DOE), providing $44.8 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to support eight projects focused on reducing the costs associated with recycling electric vehicle batteries and their components. This financial boost aims to bolster the growing demand for EVs and support a more sustainable, domestic battery supply chain by researching, develo...

Toyota Motor Europe, along with its partners, has launched an open call for the second cohort of the Toyota Open Labs innovation platform, the company announced Oct. 25. The carmaker said that this initiative aims to connect startups with business units across the Toyota group and empower their ambitions to scale up and contribute to a sustainable future. According to Toyota, selected companies will get a chance to work with key business units on six strategic categories: a) Electric Ve...

Luxury-car maker Mercedes-Benz has opened its own closed-loop battery recycling plant in Germany, the company announced Oct. 21. It claimed that the newly opened battery recycling facility is not only the first in Europe but also makes Mercedes-Benz the first carmaker globally to close the battery recycling loop with its own in-house facility. The new battery recycling plant, which features an integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process, is located in Kuppenheim, southern Germany. With t...

Toyoda Gosei is doubling rubber recycling capacity at its Morimachi Plant, situated in central Japan, the company said in a press release on Oct. 18. This move is aimed at advancing the recycling of rubber materials used in vehicles, a segment where recycling has proven to be particularly challenging. In the automotive industry, where considerable progress has been made in recycling resources such as steel and plastic, rubber products have remained difficult to recycle, with most rubber waste...

In a press release dated Oct. 9, battery recycler Lithion Technologies announced that it has been officially chosen by Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., the Canadian subsidiary of the South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer, to be its primary partner for collecting and recycling electric vehicle batteries and modules in Canada. This partnership builds on an initial agreement from 2021 that aimed to validate Lithion's technology, capable of recovering 98% of minerals from batteries. Lithio...

SK tes has inaugurated a state-of-the-art battery recycling facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, highlighting its commitment to the burgeoning electric vehicle industry and addressing the critical demand for battery production materials. The facility, initially covering 10,000 square meters with the potential for expansion to 40,000 square meters, is equipped to process up to 10,000 metric tons of material annually. This capacity is expected to double as the company plans to expand onto an...

Recycling technology startup Cyclic Materials, which is known for developing advanced recycling processes for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical materials, has successfully raised $53 million in its Series B equity round, the company announced Sept. 25. The funding round was led by ArcTern Ventures and supported by new investors BDC Capital’s Climate Tech Fund, Hitachi Ventures, Zero Infinity Partners, Climate Investment, and Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. Existing i...

Altilium, a UK-based battery recycling technology company, will work with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) on a groundbreaking project to produce and validate electric vehicle battery cells using materials recovered from end-of-life EV batteries, Altilium announced Sept. 26. The said project, which is expected to be a first for the UK, aims to demonstrate battery cells produced with recovered cathode active materials (CAM), leveraging its patented EcoCathode process to deliver a significant carbon red...

AE Elemental, a joint venture of US-based Ascend Elements and Poland-based Elemental Strategic Metals, has opened its first commercial-scale electric vehicle battery recycling facility in Zawiercie, Poland, Ascend Elements announced Sept. 19. The newly opened facility can process 12,000 metric tons of used lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries each year, estimated to be equal to 28,000 EV battery packs annually, making it one of the largest battery recycling facilities in Europe. The newly opened...

The US Energy Department (DOE) has announced plans to allocate up to $70 million toward enhancing the economics of recovering and reutilizing electric drive vehicle batteries. This funding, stemming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, underscores a broader initiative to advance research, development and demonstration projects focused on second-life applications for electric vehicle batteries. Additionally, it aims to foster new technologies for recycling and reclaiming critical mater...

In a blog post, Daniel Kern, vice president of Global Automotive Development at Novelis, highlighted the sustainability benefits of recycling aluminum in the electric vehicle market. He said that Novelis has developed innovative scrap sortation and segregation operations to recover aluminum from end-of-life vehicles, thereby enhancing the value of its recycled content. Novelis has also researched and introduced new automotive aluminum alloys that support higher scrap content and has designed sin...

Lithium Australia Ltd. announced Sept. 4 that its wholly owned subsidiary, Envirostream Australia Pty. Ltd., which is a leading player in Australia’s battery recycling industry, has signed an exclusive three-year recycling agreement with BYD Auto Industry Co. Ltd., the automotive subsidiary of BYD Co. Ltd. BYD Auto, one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers globally with sales of more than 3 million new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in 2023, entered the Australian market in 2022 and rapidl...

In a press release dated Sept. 10, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. (MFTBC) announced its collaboration with True 2 Materials Pte. Ltd. (T2M), based in Singapore, to establish a pilot facility dedicated to recovering materials from used electric vehicle batteries. This facility, to be located at MFTBC's Kawasaki Plant, aims to evaluate the reusability of anode, cathode and electrolyte materials for battery cell manufacturers, starting in 2025. This initiative seeks to address the growing n...

Battery recycling startup Cylib broke ground on its first European industrial plant located at Currenta’s Chempark Dormagen in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the company announced Sept. 9. The groundbreaking of Cylib’s first industrial recycling facility comes about one year after the German battery recycling startup commissioned its pilot line in Aachen, Germany. The planned recycling facility will come up at a brownfield site located in a chemical park managed ...

Cylib has initiated the construction of a significant industrial plant in Dormagen, Germany, designed to recycle end-of-life lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries at an impressive capacity of 30,000 metric tons annually. The facility, expected to be operational by 2026, will create approximately 170 jobs and aligns with Currenta's ambition to evolve into Europe's premier sustainable chemical park. This development follows a successful pilot in Aachen, Germany, and represents the transition of Cylib'...

According to a press release Sep. 4, Nokian Tyres has entered into a developmental agreement with Reselo AB, a Swedish biomaterial science company, aiming to incorporate Reselo Rubber, a renewable material derived from birch bark residues from the pulp, paper and plywood industry, into its tire manufacturing process. The partnership seeks to adapt Reselo Rubber for commercial tire production, aiming to replace traditional fossil-based materials and potentially enhance tire performance. Heini ...

As reported in a press release on Aug. 28, Hyundai Mobis is intensifying its efforts in developing new materials for future mobility, focusing on sustainability, innovation and digital advancements. This strategic move is in anticipation of stricter global environmental regulations expected around 2030. The company has identified three key areas of development: Sustainable materials to comply with environmental standards, innovative materials to push the boundaries of mobility, and digital ma...

An upcoming battery recycling technology startup named ProtectLiB, which is a spin-off from the University of Graz, is developing a compact system for recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles, according to a press note issued by the university on Aug. 26. The innovation enables cost-effective and environmentally friendly recycling of valuable raw materials directly on-site, it said in the note. Jürgen Abraham, Tobias Kopp and Chris Pichler, who are the co-founders of Protect...

Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Metalúrgicas (CENIM-CSIC) in Spain have developed an innovative two-stage process aimed at extracting lithium from black masses originating from NMC 622 electric vehicle batteries post their crushing and separation. This process results in the production of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) with a purity exceeding 98.4%, alongside minimal lithium fluoride (LiF) content. A significant aspect of this stage is its efficiency in recovering 90-9...

Flux Power Holdings, Inc., known for developing advanced lithium-ion energy storage solutions for the commercial and industrial equipment sector, has announced a significant partnership with the United States' largest critical battery components recycling company. This collaboration is set to enhance the recycling process for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, aligning with Flux Power's commitment to environmental responsibility. The partnership is geared towards creating a circular supply ch...

The California Assembly Committee on Appropriations in the US has recently passed Senate Bill 615, a legislative proposal aimed at ensuring the responsible recycling of electric vehicle batteries. This bill mandates that automotive manufacturers are responsible for the recycling of their EV batteries after the vehicles are retired. The legislation is now heading to the full Assembly and Senate for a vote expected later in August. Jessica Dunn, a senior analyst in the Clean Transportation Prog...

Sports-car maker Porsche has developed a new battery storage system with used Taycan batteries to supply power to its manufacturing plant in Leipzig, Germany, the company announced Aug. 6. The initiative is part of Porsche’s strategy to demonstrate how used high-voltage batteries from electric vehicles can be put to good use and conserve resources with the concept of second life. The newly developed stationary energy storage system (ESS) consists of 4,400 battery modules and is the siz...

Hyundai Glovis, a leading logistics and distribution company in South Korea, has entered into a strategic partnership for battery recycling with Chinese firm Huayou Cobalt, a recognized leader in the production of cobalt and high-nickel products essential for electric vehicle batteries. This collaboration was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed by Hyundai Glovis CEO Lee Kyoo-bok and Huayou Recycling General Manager Bao Wei at Huayou Recycling's headquarters in Zhejiang, China...

UK-based battery-recycling company Altilium has signed a strategic agreement with Connected Energy, a leading developer of second-life battery energy storage systems, to develop sustainable and environmentally responsible business models for the repurposing and recycling of electric vehicle batteries, bringing value to both companies as well as battery manufacturers and automotive original equipment manufacturers, Altilium announced July 8. Notably, Connected Energy designs and develops energ...

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced a partnership with Pirelli to incorporate Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified natural rubber tires across JLR's range of modern luxury vehicles, according to a press release on July 11. This initiative, a first on such a scale in the global automotive sector, will see JLR adopting over 250,000 FSC-certified tires annually, starting with the new Range Rover Electric. This collaboration aligns with JLR's Reimagine strategy, underscoring its commitmen...

Hydrovolt, a battery recycling and raw materials company, plans to build a recycling plant in France as part of its capacity expansion strategy, the company announced July 2. Without disclosing the amount it plans to invest in building the proposed battery recycling plant in France, Hydrovolt said that its planned facility will be located in Hordain, in the heart of Northern France’s battery valley. Hydrovolt, which is a joint venture of Swedish battery-maker Northvolt and Norway’s Hyd...

Stellantis NV, a leading global automaker, is making considerable progress on its circular economy initiatives, which entail growing its presence in recycling, expanding its share in material sourcing while limiting impact on natural resources. The company’s circular economy initiatives are called SUSTAINera. Speaking at the International Automotive Recycling Congress (IARC), in Antwerp, Belgium, Alison Jones, senior vice president of Stellantis’ Global Circular Economy, said, “Since th...

Ascend Elements has shipped decarbonized cathode materials, including precursor (pCAM) and cathode active materials (CAM) to to Freudenberg e-Power Systems for applications in heavy-duty lithium-ion batteries, the company announced June 19. The shipment of pCAM material was engineered and manufactured at the Ascend Elements pilot facility in Westborough, Mass. The materials will be sintered and finished as CAM at the Ascend Elements location in Novi, Mich. before shipment to Freudenberg e-Pow...

German materials company BASF and WHW Recycling GmbH have entered into an agreement to process cathode and anode waste to establish a circular economy for battery materials in Europe, BASF announced June 18. The move is aligned with BASF’s strategy to expand its battery recycling operations and service offering for its customers. Notably, WHW Recycling is a joint venture between Walch Holding and Štefan Hanigovský, owner of the Slovakian waste disposal company Fecupral. The company is ...

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corporation have announced plans to establish a new 50-50 joint venture company, ALTNA Co. Ltd., in July 2024. The venture is the result of a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in October 2023, aimed at launching new businesses to capitalize on expected growth in the electric vehicle (EV) market and to support a future decarbonized society. The joint venture aims to address challenges such as optimizing the cost of EV usage, enhancing t...

Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group, and Enva, a recycling and resource recovery specialist, have announced a strategic partnership for the collection and recycling of electric vehicle batteries in the UK. This partnership leverages Enva's nationwide collection infrastructure and relationships with car dealerships, alongside Altilium's expertise in recycling EV batteries and recovering critical materials, including lithium. The firms will explore key initiatives such as the safe handl...

German materials company BASF has appointed Christine Grosse Lembeck to head its global Battery Recycling business, the company announced June 6. In her new role, Lembeck will be in charge to further grow BASF’s comprehensive solutions along the battery recycling value chain for battery producers, battery cell manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers. The business is an integral part of BASF's Battery Materials division, the company said. Lembeck holds a diploma in Business Adm...

The Continental tire plant in Hefei, China, recently became the company’s latest production site to receive the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS sustainability certification, according to a press release on June 4. The globally recognized standard certifies that Continental meets specific sustainability standards. It also confirms the transparency of the traceability of the raw materials used in the production process. Certification of the raw materials enab...

At PCIM Europe 2024, Infineon Technologies will showcase its latest semiconductor, software and tooling solutions, according to a press release on May 28. Under the motto — Driving decarbonization and digitalization. Together. — Infineon will demonstrate its power electronics portfolio covering all relevant power technologies in silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Infineon's demonstration also includes eMobility, eTransportation and charging solutions....

Germany-based battery recycling startup Cylib has secured €55 million in a series-A funding round, the company announced on May 15. Co-led by the leading European climate tech VC World Fund and Porsche Ventures, the venture arm of sports car manufacturer Porsche AG, Cylib’s series-A funding round was joined by Bosch Ventures, DeepTech and Climate Fonds, NRW.Venture, along with the existing investors namely Vsquared Ventures, Speedinvest, 10x Founders, and other established business angels...

UK-based battery-recycling company Altilium has made new advancements in its innovative EcoCathode hydrometallurgical recycling technology, with breakthroughs in the recovery of lithium from new battery chemistries and the production of cathode active materials (CAM) from a mixed feed of lithium scrap, the company announced May 10. With the growing demand for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, the company is developing a domestic, sustainable source of battery raw materials for the UK, redu...

Ascend Elements and Call2Recycle have signed an agreement to introduce customized electric vehicle battery management, logistics and recycling services to automotive dealerships, recyclers and repair facilities, Ascend Elements announced May 7. The program combines the EV battery-recycling infrastructure and advanced technologies of Ascend Elements with the collection, logistics and tracking capabilities of Call2Recycle. It aims to offer online access to GreenTraxEV, the all-in-one cloud...

Lithium producer Rock Tech’s grant funding application has been rejected by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics, according to a news report published by the German newspaper Handlesblatt on May 7. The company was seeking federal funding under the ministry’s Resilience and Sustainability of the Battery Cell Production Ecosystem guidelines for its project in Guben, Brandenburg. Notably, these funding guidelines were launched by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 2023 as part ...

Nissan and Ecobat Solutions UK Ltd. have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at establishing a circular economy for electric vehicle batteries in the UK, Ecobat said in a note on April 30. The two companies are working together to investigate how EV batteries from Nissan Leaf cars that are no longer on the road can be located within the UK salvage network and then be safely recovered, repaired, recycled or repurposed to create a sustainable circular energy economy. Having launc...

Japan and Europe have agreed to cooperate in establishing a circular economy for critical materials that are used in producing batteries. According to a news report published by Nikkei Asia on April 22, Japan's Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA), under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with European counterparts on information sharing and mutual certification. The partnership between the two regions will focus on sharing ...

With an increase global focus on sustainability and stringent regulatory requirements, the automotive industry is realizing the necessity of plastic recycling for sustainable development. Responding to this changing dynamics, German supplier, Covestro has announced joining hands with the automotive value chain, and is spearheading the concept of car-to-car closed-loop plastics recycling, which is emerging as a promising solution to tackle the challenges of plastic waste ...

Tozero GmbH, a Munich-based battery material recycling startup, has shipped recycled lithium derived from battery waste using its proprietary hydrometallurgy process to its customers in Europe, the company announced on April 23. The development marks a significant breakthrough for the startup as the shipment is its first commercial delivery. Launched in July 2023, Tozero operates from a pilot plant based in Munich. The company claims that its cutting-edge hydrometallurgy process maximizes ...

BASF, a leading supplier of battery materials, has commenced operations at its prototype metal refinery for battery recycling in Schwarzheide, Germany, the company announced April 16. The state-of-the-art plant allows for the development of operational procedures and the optimization of innovative battery recycling technology, processing end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery production scrap, it said, adding that the plant will facilitate optimal recovery of critical metals such as li...

Green Li-ion, a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery recycling technology company, has launched its first commercial-scale installation to produce sustainable, battery-grade materials, the first of its kind in North America, the company said April 11. The new plant, which is located within an existing recycling facility, is slated to produce valuable battery-grade cathode and anode materials from concentrated components of spent batteries using Green Li-ion’s patented multicathode-producing Green-h...

Ascend Elements and Elemental Strategic Metals plan to set up a battery recycling joint venture based in Zawiercie, Poland, the two companies announced on April 9. The equal joint venture, which will be named AE Elemental, will operate a state-of-the-art EV battery recycling facility where EV batteries will be disassembled, discharged and shredded to produce black mass. This mass will then be used to make new engineered EV battery materials, including cathode active material (CAM) and cathode...

DENSO and a select few Japanese companies have been selected by an industry-government-academia collaborative project to expand the recycled content in automobiles, according to a press release dated April 9. The project, titled "Demonstration of Manufacturing-and-Recycling Integrated Process for Horizontal Cycle Enabled by Automated Sophisticated Dismantling of ELVs," aims to develop a new method for processing end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) that can significantly expand the use of recycled materi...

Forvia outlined its roadmap to carbon neutrality at its second Sustainability Day in Paris, according to a company press statement dated March 21. The company aims to achieve its goal by 2045, with intermediate milestones set for 2025 and 2030. Forvia has been committed to a decarbonization trajectory since 2019 and has been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as the first group in the automotive sector to obtain this certification. To achieve these objectives, Forvi...

UK-based battery recycling startup Altilium has partnered with Australian battery materials company Talga Group to jointly work on recovering graphite from old electric vehicle batteries for reuse in the production of new battery anodes, Altilium announced March 28. The strategic partnership between the two companies aims to establish a circular economy for graphite and reduce the UK’s reliance on imported raw materials. “The collaboration marks a significant step towards securing a su...

Renault Group and its subsidiary The Future Is NEUTRAL will showcase their progress in the circular economy at the ChangeNow Summit from March 25-27 in Paris. The Future Is NEUTRAL is launching a new remanufacturing activity for electric parts, offering customers a range of quality reconditioned products at lower prices and reduced environmental impact. The company will also present its after-sales offer for electric vehicles, including reconditioned electric motors, power electronics, and tr...

Tata Motors, India's leading automobile manufacturer, has inaugurated its fifth Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) near Delhi, India. The state-of-the-art facility, named Re.Wi.Re — Recycle with Respect, has an annual capacity to scrap 18,000 end-of-life vehicles using environmentally friendly processes. The facility was developed in partnership with Johar Motors and is equipped with dedicated cell-type and line-type dismantling for commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles,...

SQM Lithium Ventures made another follow-on investment of $9.43 million in UK-based, battery-recycling startup Altilium, bringing its total investment in the company to $12 million, Altilium announced Feb. 21. The startup said that SQM Lithium’s second tranche of investment completes its Series A funding round, which saw Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) as the largest investor. Notably, SQM Lithium Ventures is the corporate venture arm of the lithium business of SQM, one of the ...

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., a leading global lithium-ion battery recycling company, has raised $75 million from Glencore, a leading supplier of critical battery materials. In a press note issued on March 12, Li-Cycle announced that it has entered into an agreement to issue a senior secured convertible note in an aggregate principal amount of $75 million to an affiliate of Glencore PLC. As previously announced, Glencore has designated Li-Cycle as one of its preferred recycling partners, and Li-Cy...

Bewi Automotive, a leading supplier of engineering plastics, has announced an improvement in the recycled content of its expanded polystyrene (EPP) components from 25% to 30%. This change results in a 16% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the use of conventional materials. According to Fredrik Johansson, operations director of Bewi, this improvement demonstrates the company's commitment to offering products with lower carbon footprints, helping customers achieve their climate reduct...

24M has unveiled Liforever, a direct-material recycling process for SemiSolid lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in electric vehicles, according to a company press release dated March 4. Liforever reduces the environmental impact of Li-ion batteries by making the recovery and reuse of battery materials such as lithium iron phosphate efficient and cost-effective, both in process and at end of life.  Conventional Li-ion cells use expensive and toxic pyrometallurgical and hydrometallu...

Fortum Battery Recycling and Hydrovolt have signed an agreement focused on recovering critical metals from battery-recycling operations, Fortum said in a press note on Feb. 29. The agreement entails delivery of black mass by Hydrovolt to Fortum’s battery-material recycling plant in Finland. According to the note, the scope of the collaboration includes a cross-Nordic process, where Hydrovolt will mechanically recycle electric vehicle batteries at its first industrial plant in Fredrikstad...

Constellium SE, a leading supplier of rolled and extruded aluminum solutions for the global automotive market, has announced a new research and development initiative called "Close the Loop" in partnership with a network of recycling companies in France. The project, funded in part by the French Environmental Agency ADEME, aims to develop technologies to dismantle, sort and remelt wrought aluminum from end-of-life vehicles to be used in future vehicles. The project will assess various options...

Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Ltd. (VWG UK) has signed an agreement with Ecobat, a leading battery-recycling company, to collect and recycle electric vehicle batteries, the carmaker announced Feb. 27. The deal is expected to help VWG UK close the loop with battery recycling to promote a circular energy economy. Notably, Ecobat has a long-standing relationship with VWG UK dating back to 2014 when it started collecting lead-acid batteries for TPS, part of VWG UK, which provides genuine com...

Morrow Batteries and Stena Recycling have signed an agreement where the battery-production scrap from the Morrow Cell Factory in Arendal, Norway, will be supplied to Stena Recycling's new facility for battery recycling in Halmstad, Sweden, Morrow announced Feb. 27. “The goal is to build a complete circular battery value chain using recycled material in new battery cell production,” Morrow said in a statement. According to the press note, the two companies have agreed that for the next ...

Majority shareholder Antin, minority shareholder Michelin and Enviro, which has the option to become a significant minority shareholder, have finalized a shared investment plan for the construction of the first end-of-life tire-recycling plant in Uddevalla, Sweden. The plant will be based on Enviro's unique pyrolysis technology and will have the capacity to recycle approximately 35,000 metric tons of used tires annually, creating up to 40 green jobs in the local community. The joint venture h...

Li-Cycle Germany GmbH, a subsidiary of Canada-based Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., a leading global lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery-recycling company, has received approval from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt for a grant of up to €6.4 million for its Li-ion battery-spoke recycling facility, the company announced Feb. 7. The said grant will be given to Li-Cycle for its battery-spoke recycling facility, which is located in Sülzetal, Saxony-Anhalt, in Germany, under the state government’s Improvi...