Toyota partners with Redwood to recycle hybrid batteries vehicles

MANILA: Toyota Motor North America aims to create a sustainable, closed-loop battery ecosystem for its electrified powertrains.

The carmaker aims to  collect, test, and recycle batteries into raw materials to create a sustainable supply chain, which will develop second-life opportunities for remanufactured and repurposed Toyota hybrid electric vehicle batteries. 

Toyota has committed to reducing its environmental footprint year after year and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. 

In connection with these goals, Toyota and Redwood Materials will explore a series of battery recycling solutions for Toyota’s proposed battery ecosystem. Initially, the firm's collaboration will focus on the collection, testing, and recycling of Toyota hybrid electric vehicle batteries. 

Afterwards, Toyota and Redwood will then look to expand into other areas such as battery health screening and data management, remanufacturing and battery material supply throughout North America.

“We are excited to be working with Redwood Materials to identify solutions for our electrified powertrains at end-of-life that contribute to our vision of creating a sustainable, circular battery ecosystem,” Toyota North America Group Vice President of Business Development Christopher Yang.

"We are committed to developing sustainable solutions that allow our batteries to provide value beyond the initial lifecycle in an electrified vehicle. This also contributes to our carbon neutrality goals and our mission to build a more sustainable world for all.”

Redwood Materials is driving down the environmental footprint and cost of lithium-ion batteries by offering large-scale sources of domestic anode and cathode materials produced from recycled batteries.

The company plans to ramp production of anode and cathode components in the US to 100GWh annually by 2025, enough to produce more than one million electric vehicles a year. 

Recently, Toyota announced an investment of US$1.29 billion in a new North American battery plant, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC). When completed, TBMNC is anticipated to produce battery packs for 1.2 million electrified vehicles per year. Toyota expects to sell eight million electrified vehicles globally by 2030 and invest US$70B in their development.

Photos from Toyota

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