Ford, Volvo, and Redwood Materials start recycling EV batteries

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson)

What happens to an electric vehicle's big slab of batteries once it no longer holds a sufficient charge? On Thursday, Redwood Materials moved that conversation forward with an announcement that it has started its EV battery recycling program, with Ford and Volvo as partners.

US law requires an EV's traction battery to maintain at least 70 percent of its original state of charge after eight years or 100,000 miles. Even older EVs-ones with proper thermal management for the battery pack-are showing resilience to battery degradation over time.

But eventually, a pack will no longer be suitable for propelling a car, at which point it can be given a second life as static storage. After the battery degrades enough, it's time for recycling.

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