has introduced a partnership with Redwood Materials to recycle electrical automobile batteries. The automaker is $50 million within the startup, whose co-founder and CEO is Tesla’s former chief expertise officer JB Straubel. Redwood, which additionally recycles batteries for e-bike firm Specialized, will use the funds to develop its manufacturing amenities.

The corporations say the deal will make EVs extra sustainable and inexpensive by bringing the battery provide chain nearer to house. They plan to extend battery manufacturing within the US, one thing the Biden administration is trying to do to from nations akin to China.

Recycling batteries in a closed loop will assist scale back prices and profit the setting, as Ford will rely much less on imports and the mining of uncooked supplies. Redwood claims it may recuperate 95 % of components akin to nickel, cobalt, lithium and copper on common utilizing its recycling expertise. The firm reuses these supplies to make anode copper foil and cathode energetic supplies for brand new batteries.

Ford introduced the monetary backing as a part of its plan to speculate over $30 billion in electrification by the top of 2025. The firm not too long ago stated it could spend one other $250 million to of the .

In May, Ford revealed plans at BlueOvalSK vegetation in North America by the center of this decade. BlueOvalSK is a three way partnership Ford plans to kind with SK Innovation, pending approval.