The BMW Group has announced a new partnership with SK tes, a leader in technology lifecycle solutions, to recycle high-voltage batteries in Europe.
Launched on November 1, 2024, this initiative builds on BMW’s closed-loop recycling success in China and aims to recover valuable materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium for reuse in new batteries.
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The process involves mechanically shredding used batteries to extract a material called black mass, which is further refined through hydrometallurgy. Recovered materials will support the production of BMW’s next-generation drive systems, including the GEN 6 drivetrain.
This collaboration is a step toward a sustainable circular economy for BMW, with plans to expand similar recycling systems to North America by 2026. “Partnerships like this increase our efficiency in terms of the circular economy,” said Jörg Lederbauer, BMW’s Vice President of Circular Economy.
BMW’s commitment to sustainability extends across its operations, guided by principles of Re:Think, Re:Duce, Re:Use, and Re:Cycle. Efforts include increasing the use of secondary materials in components and ensuring end-of-life vehicles serve as raw material sources for new ones.
SK tes’s award-winning recycling methods enhance these efforts, aligning with BMW’s strategy to strengthen supply chain resilience and reduce resource consumption.
Source: BMW Group Advances Sustainability with Circular Economy for High-Voltage Batteries
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