Volkswagen Group UK has announced a collaboration with Ecobat to recycle batteries from electric cars, extending their partnership that began in 2014.
Under the agreement, Ecobat will collect electric car batteries from Volkswagen to recycle lithium-ion battery materials, as stated by the car manufacturer. This initiative aims to promote a circular energy economy and enhance sustainability efforts within the UK’s largest automotive group.
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Ecobat currently operates two recycling plants, one in the UK and another in Germany, with a third plant under construction in Arizona, USA. In 2021, Ecobat acquired Promesa GmbH & Co. KG, a company specializing in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles based in Hettstedt, Germany. Ecobat is recognized as a recycling specialist for batteries of all chemical types, including lead-acid batteries.
The partnership between VWG UK and Ecobat initially focused on lead-acid batteries in 2014. The collaboration expanded in 2019 to include high-voltage batteries. Since the opening of Ecobat’s UK diagnostic and dismantling centre in Darlaston, West Midlands, the press release states that many thousands of batteries have been processed and upgraded.
While Volkswagen operates a pilot plant for battery recycling in Salzgitter, it is not yet equipped to process the material on a large scale. Therefore, in the case of the Group’s British e-cars, Ecobat will handle the recycling process.
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Sylvain Charbonnier, Director of One Aftersales for Volkswagen Group UK, emphasized the importance of sustainability in the company’s electrification goals: “As we move to decarbonize road transport, the number of electric vehicles in our car parc is rapidly increasing, and we need to ensure sustainability throughout the lifecycle.”
Elliott Ethridge, Vice President of Global Sales at Ecobat, expressed his enthusiasm about extending the partnership: “We have been recycling lead batteries for VWG UK for a decade, and we are delighted to be able to extend our relationship to recycle EV lithium-ion batteries.”
