French automotive manufacturer Renault is reportedly in advanced talks with prospective partners about recycling used electric vehicle (EV) battery metals.
Discussions of battery recycling partnerships have progressed to an “advanced” stage at Renault, according to statements from one company executive this week (via Reuters). Jean-Philippe Bahuaud, Chief Executive of Renault’s environmental division, ‘The Future is Neutral’ (TFIN), says the automaker is seeking to build a “closed-loop,” industrial-scale EV battery supply chain—which would make the company the first to do so in Europe.
“In Europe, there is currently… nobody who can claim to recycle used batteries in a closed-loop to reproduce nickel, cobalt and lithium to make new batteries,” Bahuaud said during an interview in Paris.
The vast majority of EV metals used in Europe are mined and processed outside of the region, and the statements come as many in European countries are looking to shift away from relying on China for these materials. Earlier this month, Renault CEO Luca de Meo published an open letter focused on protecting against an “onslaught of EVs coming from China.”
There are also financial benefits to recycling EV battery metals, as Reuters notes that they account for as much as 70 percent of the cost of an EV battery. The batteries themselves also make up around 40 percent of the cost of an average EV.
Similar efforts dedicated to EV battery recycling have popped up in other markets as well, including those from the U.S. company Redwood Materials. Founded by Tesla co-founder, former executive, and current board member, JB Straubel, Redwood Materials has partnerships with Tesla and Panasonic at the automaker’s Gigafactory Nevada, among others.
As can be seen on its website, Redwood Materials also has partnerships with Ford, Toyota, Volvo, and others, and the U.S. company also acquired the European battery recycler Redux Recycling GmbH in September.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us your tips at tips@teslarati.com.