Battery recycling specialist Redwood Supplies has simply gained one other main automaker as a consumer, signing a partnership with BMW of North America. Redwood will assist recuperate and recycle finish of life lithium-ion cells and their uncommon supplies from BMW Group marques like MINI and Rolls-Royce.
Right this moment’s newest partnership announcement solely helps solidify Redwood Supplies’ present standing because the business chief in battery recycling. The corporate, based in 2017 by Tesla co-founder and former CTO JB Straubel, has discovered fast success in making a extra round economic system round lithium-ion batteries and their treasured supplies, akin to cobalt, copper, lithium, and nickel.
Prior to now few years particularly, Redwood has earned the enterprise of a number of main OEMs, together with Ford, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo. In flip, Redwood has recycled these model’s batteries and resold their supplies and elements to firms like Panasonic and Toyota for a brand new life in EVs.
The corporate is sort of good at what it does, too. In 2023, it was touting 95% effectivity in a battery recycling pilot, which helped it garner enormous authorities loans to construct reborn EV batteries and an enormous firm valuation (over $5 billion as of September 2023).
As Redwood Supplies continues to develop its battery recycling operations on two continents, it continues so as to add shoppers to its Rolodex, which now contains BMW.
Redwood to supply battery recycling to BMW and MINI in US
BMW of North America shared particulars of its new partnership with Redwood Supplies right this moment, which incorporates battery recycling of lithium-ion cells from all-electric, plug-in, and delicate hybrid automobiles from BMW Group marques within the US, together with MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad.
BMW states that Redwood will now work immediately with the automaker’s community of almost 700 places throughout the US, which incorporates dealerships, distribution facilities, and different services. The battery recycling specialist will assist recuperate BMW’s end-of-life lithium-ion cells and take them to its services in Reno, Nevada, the place it may well do what it does finest – recycle and refine their essential minerals. Redwood’s chief industrial officer, Cal Lankton, spoke concerning the new partnership with BMW:
The transition to electrical mobility presents an amazing alternative to rethink how we handle the batteries that energy our clear vitality future. Our partnership with BMW of North America ensures accountable end-of-life battery administration that may enhance the environmental footprint of lithium-ion batteries, assist lower price and, in flip, improve entry and adoption of electrical automobiles.
As talked about above, Redwood guarantees that 95% to 98% of the essential minerals recycled shall be returned to the battery provide chain and put into new EV fashions. Battery recycling is a essential but nascent business for EV adoption and sustainability, as the present supplies inside EV batteries are almost infinitely recyclable and usually are not misplaced of their lifetime of utilization.
Redwood’s recycling processes are additionally a much better possibility than anybody else right this moment since they’ve a considerably smaller environmental influence than standard mining or different recycling applied sciences. Redwood states its recycling and refining of mentioned supplies reduces vitality by 80%, CO2 emissions by 70%, and water by 80%.
As we’ve beforehand reported, Redwood is within the technique of erecting a brand new battery recycling campus in Charleston, South Carolina, not removed from BMW Group’s manufacturing crops in Spartanburg and Woodruff.
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