Munich, Germany — BMW has partnered with SK tes, a “technology lifecycle” solution provider, to recycle cobalt, nickel and lithium from used EV batteries. These recycled components will be returned to the value chain to make new batteries.
The OEM announced the news in a Jan. 13 press release, wherein it said that moving forward, high-voltage batteries from BMW Group development, production and markets in Europe that are no longer fit for use are to be delivered to SK tes in what is the first step towards an effective and sustainable circular economy for batteries.
“SK tes then converts the old batteries into high-quality metals that can be reintroduced to battery production,” wrote BMW Group in a press release.
The conversion process sees batteries mechanically shredded, during which the metals are concentrated to leave behind black mass.
The closed-loop system is set to expand to the U.S., Mexico and Canada as early as 2026.
“Partnerships like this increase our efficiency in terms of the circular economy. In the closed-loop process, all partners mutually benefit from their experiences,” says Jörg Lederbauer, vice president of Circular Economy, Spare Parts Supply High Voltage Battery and Electric Powertrain at BMW AG.
Click here for more information on BMW Group’s partnership with SK tes.
