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BMW will give EV batteries new life with recycling program
BMW is leading a consortium of companies with the goal of giving electric vehicle batteries new life after they've kicked the bucket as a car power source. The partnership with Belgian recycling firm Umicore and Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt will repurpose EV battery cells, using them for energy storage before stripping them of raw materials that can be reused in other products.
Tesla details Closed Loop battery recycling program for Europe
Electric cars need big 'ol batteries, like the Model S pack shown above, and while we've seen time and again that those cells hold up better than expected for years, eventually they're going to need to be decommissioned. What happens then? Tesla already has a recycling program in the US and now it's detailing plans for a similar program in Europe in partnership with Umicore. Tesla's packs are now eligible for Umicore's "Closed Loop" process, disassembling them to remove easily re-used components and then refining the rest of the cell constituents into things like lithium cobalt oxide, which can be used in other batteries, and other various byproducts that can be used in cement or as fill. The whole process of breaking down and extracting all the components is actually profitable, so hopefully Euro drivers won't get hit with any pricey Roadster disposal fees when they trade up to a Model S.
