The Charge To Keep EV Batteries Out Of The Trash

As electric vehicles grow in popularity, there's a related challenge on the horizon: how to dispose of worn-out EV batteries.

Why it matters: If the U.S. can salvage those end-of-life battery packs, it could reuse the critical minerals inside to make new batteries, creating a sustainable domestic supply chain.

• That could help make EVs more affordable and prevent shortages like the current semiconductor crisis.

Driving the news: An ambitious startup called Redwood Materials has enlisted Ford Motor and Volvo Cars as partners on a pilot to figure out how to wrangle all those batteries in a safe, sustainable and cost-effective way.

• The pilot will begin in California — America's EV capital — where Redwood will work with dealers and dismantlers to collect old batteries and then safely transport them to its Nevada facilities for processing.
• While Ford and Volvo are helping to fund the pilot, Redwood will accept lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries from any EVs and hybrids.

Where it stands: The U.S. is still a few years off from seeing large quantities of old batteries piling up, but the time to start preparing is now, says Redwood CEO J.B. Straubel, who was a co-founder of Tesla.

• "I think we're going to see the numbers really, really pick up probably in two to three years, starting in California, simply because it is the oldest EV market," he told reporters Thursday.

Read the full article from Axios here.