DHL is expanding its Electric Vehicle (EV) Centre of Excellence in Rugby, UK, with a new battery services facility aimed at servicing, repairing, and recycling EV batteries, the company announced. The expansion is being developed in collaboration with Cox Automotive.
The new service center will have the capacity to process “thousands” of EV batteries annually, DHL said, as part of its efforts to promote a circular economy for batteries. The facility will also include an £800,000 Battery Energy Storage System, allowing discharged EV batteries to return energy into the manufacturing process.
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“We’ve been listening and working with the industry to create a more robust end-to-end solution for EV batteries that effectively and reliably addresses challenges for manufacturers and fleets,” said Paul Stone, Managing Director of Manufacturing Logistics at DHL Supply Chain. “Today, alongside Cox Automotive, we are setting the new standard for EV battery circularity.”
Cox Automotive President Martin Forbes emphasized the facility’s role as a comprehensive service hub. “With 35,000 square feet of dedicated battery repair service, we can deliver vital battery services to customers under one roof,” he said. “In addition, this new facility provides our customers with a unique EV handling service as it complements our existing vehicle services location just 13 miles away in Bruntingthorpe.”
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The Rugby site is part of DHL’s global EV Centre of Excellence network, which includes locations in China, Italy, Indonesia, Mexico, and the USA. The company recently announced the launch of a new Centre of Excellence in Shanghai, expanding its presence in China, Singapore, and Indonesia.