Toronto, Ontario — According to German car manufacturer Audi and its partner materials expert Umicore, the two companies have been able to recover more than 90 percent of the cobalt and nickel in the high-voltage batteries of Audi’s e-tron vehicle.
Next, the partners will collaborate to develop a closed-loop system for cobalt and nickel, where the recovered materials would be used in new battery cells. According to recent tests by the companies, more than 90 percent of the cobalt and nickel found in the high-voltage batteries could be recovered.
“A closed-loop for battery raw materials is a big leap technologically,” said Dr. Bernd Martens, member of the board of management for Procurement and IT at Audi. “We save precious resources and reduce CO2 emissions. In this way, we come significantly closer to our goal of a sustainable supply chain and reach a milestone on the road to achieving overall carbon-neutral balance by 2050.”
“Innovative technologies, responsible sourcing and closing the materials loop will lead the drive toward clean mobility,” said Marc Grynberg, Umicore’s CEO. “This project with Audi is at the forefront of the development of a sustainable value chain for electrified transport.”
The German OEM says since the beginning of its first fully electrified cars it has been working on recycling vehicles to use resources efficiently and says it aims to extend its recycling abilities in the future.
