The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a significant investment of nearly $45 million aimed at reducing the costs associated with recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This funding, totaling $44.8 million, comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will support eight different projects designed to make battery recycling more efficient and affordable. The overarching goal is to lower the overall costs of electric vehicles, making them more accessible to consumers.
Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have prioritized the growth of electric vehicles in the U.S. market. Under their leadership, more than four million EVs have been sold, more than doubling the total sales from previous years. As the demand for electric vehicles and stationary battery storage continues to rise, experts predict that the size of the lithium battery market could grow by five to ten times by the end of this decade. This surge in demand underscores the importance of investing in a robust domestic supply chain for high-capacity batteries.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Vehicle Technologies Office, is focusing on projects that will enhance research, development, and demonstration of recycling and second-life applications for used EV batteries. This recent announcement builds upon earlier investments totaling $92 million aimed at advancing EV battery recycling. This initiative aligns with President Biden’s ambitious goal to ensure that electric vehicles account for half of all vehicle sales in the United States by the year 2030.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm emphasized the significance of these investments, noting that they will help create a resilient domestic battery supply chain. She stated that finding new life for used batteries will reduce pollution and dependence on foreign sources, while also lowering costs associated with battery production. These efforts are crucial to facilitating a clean energy transition across the country.
The funding initiative also supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the benefits from certain federal investments in climate and clean energy flow to disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and burdened by pollution. The eight selected projects are part of a larger strategy that includes a total of $200 million allocated for electric vehicle battery recycling and second-life applications, which is part of a $7 billion investment in battery supply chains from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
These projects aim to tackle the costs involved in transporting, dismantling, and preprocessing end-of-life electric vehicle batteries for recycling. Additionally, they will focus on recycling plastic and polymer components associated with electric drive batteries. The DOE has also indicated plans for a third phase of funding, with up to $70 million available to enhance the economic viability of electric drive vehicle battery recovery and reuse.
Among the projects receiving funding are several innovative initiatives. B2U Storage Solutions, Inc. from Los Angeles will receive over $3.4 million to create a low-cost, reusable system for transporting used and defective EV batteries. Caterpillar Inc. in Illinois will develop a new battery pack design that will simplify the dismantling process for off-highway vehicle batteries with a funding of over $5 million. General Motors in Michigan is set to receive nearly $8 million to implement an automatic sorting system for end-of-life EV batteries, while ReJoule Incorporated in California will work on battery diagnostics technology with over $6 million in funding.
Other projects include Rochester Institute of Technology’s efforts to improve the assessment of collected EV batteries using machine learning, and Siemens Corporation’s initiative to automate the battery disassembly process. Tennessee Technological University will design mobile preprocessing hubs for the safe dismantling of end-of-life batteries, and the University of Akron aims to eliminate plastic waste from EV battery packs while recycling these materials for new batteries.
Overall, this initiative represents a critical step towards enhancing battery recycling in the United States, promoting sustainability, and facilitating the growth of the electric vehicle market while addressing environmental concerns.
