Toyota Motor North America is the most recent automaker to collaborate with battery recycling firm Redwood Materials as it really works to supply a extra sustainable battery provide chain for its electrical automobile push.
The transfer comes as Toyota is turning into one of many first automotive producers to build up end-of-life batteries. The firm’s Prius, courting to 1997, was the primary mass-market gasoline-electric hybrid automobile, and its batteries are among the many first to achieve recycling age en masse.
Redwood Materials, based by former Tesla Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel, goals to interrupt down end-of-life batteries and use their supplies in new ones. Ford, Volvo and Tesla have already struck offers with the corporate.
“Toyota helped pave the way for clean transportation with the introduction of the Toyota Prius more than 20 years ago. Their commitment not only to sell millions of electrified vehicles this decade but to ensure their circularity into the future is a critical step for electrification,” Straubel mentioned in a press launch final week.
Creating a “circular ecosystem” for Toyota’s batteries is the long-term objective of the collaboration. This would contain Redwood Materials breaking down Toyota’s batteries and sending their supplies again to the corporate’s North American vegetation to be manufactured into new batteries.
This may alleviate a few of the provide chain disruptions the trade has been dealing with, along with chopping out environmentally dangerous harvesting practices for “virgin” supplies comparable to lithium, cobalt and different metals.
Alexis Georgeson, vp of communications and authorities relations for Redwood Materials, mentioned the recycling of auto batteries is essential for the sustainability of the EV trade on the continent.
“Localizing and onshoring this is really critical to be able to drive up electrification in this country, and we’re seeing more and more automakers that are recognizing that,” Georgeson mentioned. “Both on recycling as well as on sourcing the battery materials more locally that go into their cell manufacturing.”
However, recycled supplies is not going to be going into Toyota’s EV batteries within the close to future.
Matthew Stich, common supervisor overseeing Toyota’s Battery Lifecycle Solutions workforce, mentioned this collaboration will contain gathering, testing and recycling Toyota’s hybrid electrical automobile batteries.
He did recommend the potential of materials remanufacturing, knowledge administration and battery well being screening sooner or later.
Source: www.autonews.com
