Can Redwood Materials and BMW permanently resolve the issue of EV battery waste?
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Can Redwood Materials and BMW permanently resolve the issue of EV battery waste? |
The fate of EVs' and hybrids' batteries after they run out has been one of the key worries surrounding their rising popularity. Thanks to a new release from BMW, it appears that the remedy might arrive sooner than anticipated.
Why Redwood Materials and BMW's collaboration is revolutionary for EV sustainability
In a news release, BMW of North America announced their relationship with Redwood Materials to recycle lithium-ion batteries from its electric, plug-in hybrid-electric, and mild hybrid BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad vehicles.
BMW's almost 700 dealerships, distribution centers, and other facilities will remove used batteries from cars with Redwood Materials' assistance, recover minerals like nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper, and then reintegrate most of the batteries back into the battery supply chain. Redwood Materials states that compared to other businesses, its recycling procedure has a much less environmental impact, "reducing energy by 80%, CO2 emissions by 70%, and water by 80%."
Redwood Materials, who exactly is?
JB Straubel, a co-founder of Tesla and the company's former chief technology officer, started Redwood in 2017. Their recycling portfolio spans the last seven years and includes Amazon and Rad Power Bikes in addition to automakers like Tesla, Ford, GM, Toyota, and Nissan.
The company is currently building a facility in Charleston, South Carolina, and currently operates one in Reno, Nevada. BMW has facilities in both Spartanburg and Woodruff, where at least six EVs and the
ir batteries will be built, so that latter site might be crucial to this collaboration. AESC, the business that makes such batteries, also operates a facility near Florence, South Carolina.
BMW is making significant EV investments.
The i4, i5, and i7 sedans as well as the iX SUV are the current five electric models offered by the German carmaker. The executive i7 is the most expensive of the group, starting at $105,700 with a range of 274 to 321 miles, while the entry-level i4 is the least expensive, starting at $57,900 with a range of 283 to 307 miles. Within the next two years, three more electric models are anticipated to arrive on the market. The iX3, a redesigned tiny i3, the i5 M, a performance variant of the i5 with 1136 horsepower, and the i4, a 3-series EV to sit underneath it.
The future is looking even greener
The two businesses' collaboration is a positive step for the future of electric vehicles. Widely hailed as a superior replacement for fossil fuels, this most recent advancement may silence the critics who frequently cited the absence of battery recycling as a primary concern. However, this does not mean that the issues with battery development are resolved. It has been noted that these issues are energy-intensive and depend on the use of unauthorized labor in poor nations. Nevertheless, this gives us optimism that we'll solve everything as quickly as possible.
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