Ecobat has signed an agreement with Volkswagen Group United Kingdom (VWG U.K.) to collect and recycle electric vehicle (EV) batteries. VWG U.K. says that the deal helps close the loop to promote a circular energy economy.
Ecobat has a longstanding relationship with VWG U.K. dating back to 2014 when it started collecting lead acid batteries for TPS, the Volkswagen Group Genuine Parts provider to the independent motor trade. The contract was expanded in 2019 when Ecobat started working with high-voltage batteries. Since the company's U.K. Diagnostics and Disassembly Centre in Darlaston was opened, it has processed and upgraded many thousands of batteries.
Under this latest agreement, Ecobat will collect EV batteries to recycle lithium-ion battery materials. The company will collect high-voltage batteries from dealers, distributors, and end-of-life recycling centres using Ecobat's ADR-compliant vehicles. Batteries will be processed at Ecobat's new U.K. lithium-ion recycling centre. This is Ecobat's third lithium-ion recycling facility, in addition to facilities operating in Germany and Arizona.
"I'm pleased to be extending and expanding our relationship with Ecobat. As we move to decarbonize road transport, the number of electric vehicles in our car park is rapidly increasing, and we need to ensure sustainability throughout the lifecycle. Working with our trusted partners, we are confident we can reassure our dealers and customers that we are responsibly moving towards our electrification goals," said the Director of One Aftersales for Volkswagen Group U.K.
"We have been recycling lead batteries for VWG U.K. for a decade, and we are delighted to be able to extend our relationship to recycle EV lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion is a fast-growing technology, and our recycling operations can handle everything from small-format batteries to EV batteries. We also recover scrap, byproducts, end-of-life, and damaged products to help make lithium-ion battery production more sustainable," said Elliott Ethridge, vice president of global sales at Ecobat.
