Mercedes-Benz has inaugurated a pioneering plant for recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries in Kuppenheim, Germany, marking a significant step towards sustainability in the automotive industry.
At the opening ceremony on Monday, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius hailed the facility as a “key milestone” in enhancing raw-materials sustainability.
Located in the southwestern town of Kuppenheim, the plant is designed to recycle 2,500 tonnes of battery material annually, enough to produce batteries for approximately 50,000 Mercedes electric vehicles.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who attended the inauguration, emphasized the importance of recycling in the EV sector. He stated, “The circular economy is a growth engine and, at the same time, an essential building block for achieving our climate targets.”
With the European Union’s impending 2035 deadline to phase out fossil fuel-powered cars, there is an intensified focus on producing and recycling EV batteries within the bloc. Recycling is crucial not only for reducing waste but also for boosting European sovereignty in the battery sector, as critical materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium are predominantly sourced from outside the region.
Mercedes has invested tens of millions of euros in the new plant and reports that it will be able to recycle more than 96 percent of battery materials. The facility encompasses all steps in the process, from shredding battery modules to drying and material processing. Critical metals are individually extracted through a chemical process and reused to manufacture new battery cells.
The company highlights that the recycling process employed at the plant uses less energy and generates less waste compared to other facilities in Europe, aligning with their commitment to environmental sustainability.
Reference(s):
Mercedes opens Europe's first electric car battery recycling plant
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