- American battery recycling firm, Redwood Materials, has announced a partnership with BMW’s North American division, to recycle end-of-life lithium-ion batteries from EVs across all BMW Group brands, in the region.
- Redwood will have direct communication with BMW North America’s dealerships, distribution centres, and internal facilities.
- The partnership will help BMW to acheive its circular economy goals.
Another EV OEM teams up with Redwood
BMW North America is now one of several key OEMs to pair up with Redwood Materials for its recycling expertise, with Ford, Volvo, and General Motors also already on board. Under the agreement, BMW will now send its end-of-life EV batteries, including those from hybrids and plug-in hybrids to one of Redwood’s two US-based campuses, either the current site in Utah, or the under construction location in South Carolina. The latter is strategically just down the road from BMW’s own production plant, in Spartanburg. Materials recycled will include nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper, with over 95% of such materials set to be returned to the battery supply chains for future EVs.
Whilst EV batteries do carry an impressive lifespan already, some examples of BMW’s i3 on US roads are already over ten years old, getting ever closer to their end of life. And, over the next few years, as an increasing number of older BMW Group EVs reach the end of their life in North America, this agreement will be crucial for ensuring that critical, finite battery materials do not go to waste.
Cal Lankton, Chief Commercial Officer at Redwood Materials, commented:
“The transition to electric mobility presents a tremendous opportunity to rethink how we manage the batteries that power our clean energy future. Our partnership with BMW of North America ensures responsible end-of-life battery management that will improve the environmental footprint of lithium-ion batteries, help decrease cost and, in turn, increase access and adoption of electric vehicles.”
