Toyota Collaborates With Redwood Materials Inc To Develop Recycled Batteries

Recycled batteries can save nickel consumption.(photo: doc. pixabay)

JAKARTA - US startup Redwood Materials Inc said on Tuesday, June 21, that Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. had become the latest auto industry giant to join a comprehensive electric car (EV) battery recycling and remanufacturing initiative.

Redwood Materials, which has partners such as automaker Ford Motor Co and EV battery maker Panasonic Holdings Corp, is building a closed-loop battery ecosystem that aims to lower EV costs by reducing dependence on imported materials while reducing environmental impact.

The five-year-old company has focused early work on its 175-acre campus in northern Nevada. They also plan to build another complex in the southeastern United States, its chief executive and founder, JB Straubel, said in an interview.

The new facility will be able to supply Toyota's planned $1.3 billion battery plant in North Carolina, as well as Ford's planned battery plant in Tennessee and Kentucky with SK On, a subsidiary of SK Innovation Co Ltd South Korea.

Redwood Materials is increasing production of anode and cathode components to 100 gigawatt-hours by 2025, enough to supply batteries for 1 million EV per year. “These batteries will be upgraded to 500 GWh by 2030, enough to supply 5 million EVs per year or more, said Straubel, co-founder of Tesla Inc.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the EV maker expects to build up to 20 million EVs per year by 2030. Meanwhile, according to industry forecasters, total global EV production including Tesla could reach as much as 40 million.

Straubel said Redwood Materials is in "various discussions" with Tesla, but no deal has yet been announced. Tesla's partners in developing batteries so far also include Panasonic.

Toyota has been building hybrid electric vehicles under the Prius name for more than two decades. With an average car lifespan of around 12 years, some early Prius models will reach the end of their life within a few years.

Once out of service, their nickel metal hybrid batteries can be recycled and materials like nickel and copper reintroduced into the battery supply chain, where they can supplement raw materials from mines.