Audi, Umicore Develop Closed Loop Battery Recycling

Audi and Umicore have completed phase one of their strategic research cooperation for battery recycling. The two partners are developing a closed loop for components of high-voltage batteries that can be used again and again.

Before the start of the cooperation with Umicore in June, Audi stated it had analyzed the batteries in the A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid car and defined ways of recycling. Together, with the material technology experts, the car manufacturer then determined the possible recycling rates for battery components such as cobalt, nickel and copper.

The partners are now focused on the closed loop approach, in which valuable elements from batteries flow into new products at the end of their lifecycle and are thus reused. The Ingolstadt, Germany-based company is now applying this approach to the high-voltage batteries in the new Audi e-tron electric car.

Electrive.com has more details:

Audi and Umicore are developing a closed loop for the recycling of high voltage batteries from electrified vehicles, which can be reused again and again. Particularly valuable materials, including cobalt, nickel and copper, will be stored in a resource bank.

An analysis by the partners showed that 95% of the battery materials, such as cobalt, nickel and copper can be recycled. With this step, they have completed the first phase of the strategic research cooperation for battery recycling.

Read the full article here.