News
Mercedes breaks ground on new battery recycling facility in Germany
Mercedes has broken ground on a new battery recycling facility in Germany, focusing on “closing the loop” and allowing the automaker to source more battery materials sustainably.
Two of the biggest challenges in the industry of electric vehicles are the price of battery materials and what happens with batteries when they are at the end of their useable lives. Yet more and more manufacturers are finding that these two problems can help solve each other through the use of battery recycling. In efforts to source more materials more sustainably and cheaply, Mercedes has broken ground on its first battery recycling facility that will slowly ramp to help meet the automaker’s material demand.
Mercedes’ new facility in Kuppenheim, Germany, aims to achieve a remarkable 96% recovery rate for four key materials; lithium, cobalt, nickel, and eventually graphite. It will have an annual recycling capacity of 2,500 tons and aims to begin processing by the end of this year.
“This foundation symbolizes the decisive step towards closing the material cycle for batteries from Mercedes-Benz,” says Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management at Mercedes-Benz. “With a recycling rate of more than 96 percent, a ‘mine of tomorrow’ is being created here in Kuppenheim. The innovative technology approach enables us to incorporate the valuable raw materials into new Mercedes-EQ vehicles. We are consistently expanding our expertise of the battery value chain and are taking an important step in our strategy towards ‘Electric Only.’”
Mercedes also specifies that the new facility will be 100% carbon neutral as part of the German automaker’s continuing efforts to decarbonize its production facilities in the coming years. This is achieved through a mix of solar energy installed at the facility and green energy purchased from the grid.
German regulators were quick to point out that the new facility will also be a vital part of the country’s efforts to limit dependence on rare earth imports, which were particularly affected on the European continent due to the COVID pandemic, COVID restrictions in China, and the Rissian invasion of Ukraine.
“This is of particular importance in view of the limited availability of important and highly sought-after raw materials such as lithium, cobalt or nickel,” noted Thekla Walker, Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector Baden-Württemberg. “Crises such as the corona pandemic or the brutal Russian war of aggression against Ukraine have clearly demonstrated our dependence on supply chains and primary raw materials. Increased recycling can help to reduce this dependence on critical raw materials and thus strengthen the resilience of the economy.”
Mercedes joins the likes of Tesla, General Motors, and many others, establishing battery recycling capabilities worldwide. Tesla has already announced that it would make recycled materials a bigger part of its production with the help of Redwood materials. General Motors has worked closely with Lithion to establish battery recycling as part of its planned introduction of numerous EVs in the near future. While at the same time, national governments are also incentivizing many of these projects to help reduce the waste that could become an issue in a wholly electrified future.
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Energy granted one of its first-ever lithium battery recycling loans to a battery recycler in Upstate New York, LiCycle. And with the growing need for this infrastructure, the agency is expected to continue to invest in the future.
As Mercedes rapidly grows the number of electric vehicles it sells globally over the coming years, battery recycling plants like this will be critical to its growth and success. Hopefully, it can pose as an example for other manufacturers moving forward, helping to make EVs increasingly more sustainable.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
Tesla launched its fastest Full Self-Driving Speed Profile with the v14.1.2 Software Update on Wednesday, as “Mad Max” mode has overtaken “Hurry” as the most spirited travel option on FSD.
On Wednesday evening, Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, teased that the v14.1.2 Software Update would be released to those drivers in the Early Access Program (EAP). He said it was a “much-awaited feature.”
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update
Many people, myself included, believed it would be the introduction of “Banish,” which would be a perfect complement to the Actually Smart Summon (ASS) suite, as it would find a parking spot and park itself after dropping you off at the front door of your destination.
However, Elluswamy’s post on X finished with two emojis: one a race car, the other being smoke behind the car.
FSD v14.1.2, going to early access today, will debut a much awaited feature 🏎️💨
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) October 15, 2025
On Wednesday night, we received the v14.1.2 software update to the new Model Y, which revealed that “Mad Max” mode was the new addition:
BREAKING: Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1.2 is here!
MAD MAX MODE is here! pic.twitter.com/AKM2VwxiXV
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 16, 2025
The release notes state that:
“Introduced new speed profile MAD MAX, which comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than Hurry.”
It is pretty interesting that Tesla would introduce yet another speed profile that is even faster and more aggressive than “Hurry.” Personally, I’ve found Hurry to be realistic in terms of other drivers and their aggressiveness, speed of travel, and overall lane change behavior, especially on interstates.
Mad Max mode will be an interesting adjustment.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk first talked about Mad Max mode back in 2018 in posts on X, first mentioning the feature with the Tesla Semi:
It’s real pic.twitter.com/L9h3F86Guo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 25, 2018
Musk then teased Mad Max mode in 2019 with an early Autopilot update, stating that it would be an ideal option for aggressive traffic seen in places like Los Angeles. There was formerly a mode of the same name back in the late 2010s:
Are you on Mad Max Mode? This may be too meek for places like the LA Freeway …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 6, 2019
Now that it’s here, we’ll be testing it very soon and giving you a good idea of what to expect when it releases to others in the coming weeks.
Update 9:56 p.m. ET: We got it…
Tesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update, which will be released to Early Access Program (EAP) members today.
Tesla just recently released the v14 Full Self-Driving update, and it followed up just a few days later with v14.1.1.
The subsequent release helped refine a handful of things, especially an issue with stuttering at intersections and overall indecisiveness, but it was more of a smoothing over of the initial v14.1 Full Self-Driving release.
However, on Wednesday evening, Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said that the company would be releasing v14.1.2 to EAP members today, and that it would “debut a much-awaited feature.”
He followed that up with a racecar emoji and a smoke emoji, potentially hinting toward something speed-related. However, it could mean something totally different.
FSD v14.1.2, going to early access today, will debut a much awaited feature 🏎️💨
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) October 15, 2025
Some suggested it was potentially a new Speed Profile that could rank above the “Hurry” option, but that seems unnecessary. As far as other features that have been teased, one that definitely comes to mind is the “Banish” feature that was recently teased by CEO Elon Musk.
Banish is essentially the finishing touch to Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon (ASS), which launched earlier this year.
While ASS will bring your car to your location using the Tesla app on your phone, Banish does just the opposite by dropping you off at the door of your destination and finding a parking spot on its own.
Elon Musk teases ‘Banish’ feature to pair perfectly with Summon
This was recently teased by Musk yet again, as he said earlier this month that Full Self-Driving would be capable of it very soon.
Based on what we’ve seen out of v14.1 and v14.1.1, there is some potential that Banish could be released and could be the feature that Elluswamy is hinting toward, although there is no direct evidence of that.
Luckily, I was able to get into the EAP, so as the feature is released and the Release Notes are available, we’ll be able to report on exactly what feature is on the way.
Tesla benefits from an incentive program in Texas that has become active following the loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which was a significant advantage for EV drivers.
In Texas, the State Commission on Environmental Quality has a grant program for light-duty motor vehicles that are either purchased or leased by consumers.
Referred to as the Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program (LDPLIP), the program opened on October 13 and provides grants for consumers who want to buy new energy vehicles.
Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might
The program allows for grants of up to $2,500 for electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
These are the eligibility criteria:
- Individuals or entities who purchase or lease an eligible vehicle on or after September 1, 2025, and who apply for or acquire title and registration of the vehicle in Texas
- Applicants must have taken possession of the vehicle before applying
- Applicants must commit to operating and registering the vehicle in Texas for at least one year
Additionally, the car must:
- Be included on the TCEQ Eligible Vehicle List
- Be new and must not have been the subject of any prior retail sale or lease
- Have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less
They are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
The good news is that Tesla’s entire vehicle lineup, as of October 7, qualifies. Here is what the LDPLIP’s list of qualifying vehicles shows for Tesla:
- Tesla Cybertruck AWD
- Tesla Cybertruck Beast
- Tesla Model S AWD
- Tesla Model S Plaid
- Tesla Model X AWD
- Tesla Model X Plaid
- Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD
- Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD
- Tesla Model Y Performance
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD
- Tesla Model 3 Performance
This list was published during the day of October 7, which is coincidentally the same day Tesla launched its Tesla Model 3 ‘Standard’ and Tesla Model Y ‘Standard.’
We reached out to the program to confirm that these vehicles qualify for that grant, and we will update when we hear back.
With the loss of the Federal EV Tax Credit, local programs are still available to help with the cost of an EV. Although electric cars are affordable, there are benefits to choosing one, especially as these grant programs continue to become available.
The full list of vehicles that qualify for the grant is available here.
Tesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update
Tesla benefits from new incentive program that’s active after tax credit loss
-
News18 hours agoTesla reportedly places large order for robot parts, hinting that Optimus V3 design is all but finalized
-
News13 hours agoTesla makes big move with its Insurance program
-
News2 days agoTesla Autopilot visualization gets big upgrade with tons of new additions
-
News1 week agoTesla all but confirms that affordable Model Y is coming Tuesday
-
News1 week agoTesla FSD (Supervised) V14.1 with Robotaxi-style dropoffs is here
-
News1 week agoTesla Optimus steals the show during TRON: ARES premiere
-
News5 hours agoTesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
-
Elon Musk17 hours agoStarship’s next chapter: SpaceX eyes tower catch after flawless Flight 11