Tesla claims 92% battery cell material recovery in new recycling process
08-09-21, 09:49 AM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Tesla claims 92% battery cell material recovery in new recycling process
This is excellent news that such progress has been made on the recycling effort. This will make BEV's the most environmentally friendly solution in the long run and much much cleaner than Hydrogen or synthetic fuels.
Tesla released more details about its effort to deploy large-scale battery recycling, and it claims that it can recover about 92% of battery cell materials with its recycling process.
When it comes to emissions throughout the entire lifecycle, electric vehicles have two main advantages over gas-powered vehicles.
When it comes to the operation of the vehicles, electric vehicle owners have more choices of energy sources to charge their vehicles than just gasoline.
They can charge their vehicles using renewable energy, which will greatly reduce emissions generated by the use of their vehicles.
On the manufacturing front, EV detractors often claim that the energy and resources that it takes to build batteries counterbalance all the tailpipe advantages.
However, those detractors often leave out battery recycling, which makes all the difference for the full emission cycles for electric vehicles.
For years now, Tesla has been working with third-party recyclers to recover materials from their end-of-life battery packs.
But the automaker has also been working on its own “unique battery recycling system.“
Today, with the release of its 2020 Impact Report, Tesla released more details on its battery recycling effort.
Tesla confirmed that the first phase of its own battery cell recycling facility was deployed late last year:
“In the fourth quarter of 2020, Tesla successfully installed the first phase of our cell recycling facility at Gigafactory Nevada for in-house processing of both battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries. While Tesla has worked for years with third-party battery recyclers to ensure our batteries do not end up in a landfill, we understand the importance of also building recycling capacity in-house to supplement these relationships. Onsite recycling brings us one step closer to closing the loop on materials generation, allowing for raw material transfer straight to our nickel and cobalt suppliers. The facility unlocks the cycle of innovation for battery recycling at scale, allowing Tesla to rapidly improve current designs through operational learnings and to perform process testing of R&D products.”
The automaker shared a chart showing that it can recover over 92% of raw battery materials:
Tesla also argues that its recycling effort will be even better for its own battery cells manufacturing in-house as the process will be integrated at each manufacturing site:
“As the manufacturer of our in-house cell program, we are best positioned to recycle our products efficiently to maximize key battery material recovery. With the implementation of in-house cell manufacturing at Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg and Gigafactory Texas, we expect substantial increases in manufacturing scrap globally. We intend to tailor recycling solutions to each location and thereby re-introduce valuable materials back into our manufacturing process. Our goal is to develop a safe recycling process with high recovery rates, low costs and low environmental impact. From an economic perspective, we expect to recognize significant savings over the long term as the costs associated with large-scale battery material recovery and recycling will be far lower than purchasing additional raw materials for cell manufacturing.”
In fact, Tesla is now becoming a producer of nickel, cobalt, and other raw materials. Instead of being mined in the field, the materials are being mined from used battery packs.
The company says that it had 1,300 tons of nickel, 400 tons of copper, and 80 tons of cobalt recycled in 2020.
The issue of recycling batteries is so important that Tesla co-founder and long-time CTO JB Straubel quit the company in 2019 to start his own company, Redwood Materials, and develop recycling processes.
Redwood even has a contract to recycle scrap from Panasonic’s battery cell production at Tesla Gigafactory Nevada, where the automaker deployed its own new recycling facility.
Tesla claims 92% battery cell material recovery in new recycling process
Fred LambertTesla released more details about its effort to deploy large-scale battery recycling, and it claims that it can recover about 92% of battery cell materials with its recycling process.
When it comes to emissions throughout the entire lifecycle, electric vehicles have two main advantages over gas-powered vehicles.
When it comes to the operation of the vehicles, electric vehicle owners have more choices of energy sources to charge their vehicles than just gasoline.
They can charge their vehicles using renewable energy, which will greatly reduce emissions generated by the use of their vehicles.
On the manufacturing front, EV detractors often claim that the energy and resources that it takes to build batteries counterbalance all the tailpipe advantages.
However, those detractors often leave out battery recycling, which makes all the difference for the full emission cycles for electric vehicles.
For years now, Tesla has been working with third-party recyclers to recover materials from their end-of-life battery packs.
But the automaker has also been working on its own “unique battery recycling system.“
Today, with the release of its 2020 Impact Report, Tesla released more details on its battery recycling effort.
Tesla confirmed that the first phase of its own battery cell recycling facility was deployed late last year:
“In the fourth quarter of 2020, Tesla successfully installed the first phase of our cell recycling facility at Gigafactory Nevada for in-house processing of both battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries. While Tesla has worked for years with third-party battery recyclers to ensure our batteries do not end up in a landfill, we understand the importance of also building recycling capacity in-house to supplement these relationships. Onsite recycling brings us one step closer to closing the loop on materials generation, allowing for raw material transfer straight to our nickel and cobalt suppliers. The facility unlocks the cycle of innovation for battery recycling at scale, allowing Tesla to rapidly improve current designs through operational learnings and to perform process testing of R&D products.”
The automaker shared a chart showing that it can recover over 92% of raw battery materials:
Tesla also argues that its recycling effort will be even better for its own battery cells manufacturing in-house as the process will be integrated at each manufacturing site:
“As the manufacturer of our in-house cell program, we are best positioned to recycle our products efficiently to maximize key battery material recovery. With the implementation of in-house cell manufacturing at Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg and Gigafactory Texas, we expect substantial increases in manufacturing scrap globally. We intend to tailor recycling solutions to each location and thereby re-introduce valuable materials back into our manufacturing process. Our goal is to develop a safe recycling process with high recovery rates, low costs and low environmental impact. From an economic perspective, we expect to recognize significant savings over the long term as the costs associated with large-scale battery material recovery and recycling will be far lower than purchasing additional raw materials for cell manufacturing.”
In fact, Tesla is now becoming a producer of nickel, cobalt, and other raw materials. Instead of being mined in the field, the materials are being mined from used battery packs.
The company says that it had 1,300 tons of nickel, 400 tons of copper, and 80 tons of cobalt recycled in 2020.
The issue of recycling batteries is so important that Tesla co-founder and long-time CTO JB Straubel quit the company in 2019 to start his own company, Redwood Materials, and develop recycling processes.
Redwood even has a contract to recycle scrap from Panasonic’s battery cell production at Tesla Gigafactory Nevada, where the automaker deployed its own new recycling facility.
08-09-21, 10:36 AM
#2
That would be excellent news if true. But given Elon Musk's established track record of lying, why would we believe him about anything that isn't independently verifiable?
08-09-21, 01:41 PM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Awesome. 90%+ reclamation of materials is fantastic in time can probably get it to 95% or better. Burning fossil fuel gives you back zero % and also belches out pollution for your trouble.
08-09-21, 02:48 PM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
according to the EPA, 29% (in 2019) of all CO2 emissions come from 'transportation' including cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes.
it goes on to say "the largest sources of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions include passenger cars, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and light-duty trucks, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. These sources account for over half of the emissions from the transportation sector."
that's pretty vague, but let's say the half is now 15% of all CO2 emissions. and taking out "heavy duty trucks" which i'm sure account for at least half of emissions, now consumer vehicles are down to 7.5% of all CO2 (i expect it's much less especially now with so many working from home, but heavy duty trucks continue to barrel across the globe ceaselessly). so at this point, as far as my own 'contribution', i don't care.
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sou...transportation
i also do not see on the horizon "heavy duty trucks" being replaced with BEVs unless hydrogen powered, and then there's hideous, unregulated, diesel belching container ships and large jet fuel using planes travelling in the millions across the globe.
anyway, tesla's efforts are to be applauded, but they will make almost no difference at all from a pollution standpoint, but what this is really about is reclaiming materials to save money and be re-used in batteries so they can sell more vehicles.
08-09-21, 02:57 PM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
08-09-21, 02:58 PM
#6
ah yes, the old "belching out pollution" line... today's cars are NOTHING like they were say 30-40 years ago first of all. they belch hardly anything.
according to the EPA, 29% (in 2019) of all CO2 emissions come from 'transportation' including cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes.
it goes on to say "the largest sources of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions include passenger cars, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and light-duty trucks, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. These sources account for over half of the emissions from the transportation sector."
that's pretty vague, but let's say the half is now 15% of all CO2 emissions. and taking out "heavy duty trucks" which i'm sure account for at least half of emissions, now consumer vehicles are down to 7.5% of all CO2 (i expect it's much less especially now with so many working from home, but heavy duty trucks continue to barrel across the globe ceaselessly). so at this point, as far as my own 'contribution', i don't care.
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sou...transportation
i also do not see on the horizon "heavy duty trucks" being replaced with BEVs unless hydrogen powered, and then there's hideous, unregulated, diesel belching container ships and large jet fuel using planes travelling in the millions across the globe.
anyway, tesla's efforts are to be applauded, but they will make almost no difference at all from a pollution standpoint, but what this is really about is reclaiming materials to save money and be re-used in batteries so they can sell more vehicles.
according to the EPA, 29% (in 2019) of all CO2 emissions come from 'transportation' including cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes.
it goes on to say "the largest sources of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions include passenger cars, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and light-duty trucks, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. These sources account for over half of the emissions from the transportation sector."
that's pretty vague, but let's say the half is now 15% of all CO2 emissions. and taking out "heavy duty trucks" which i'm sure account for at least half of emissions, now consumer vehicles are down to 7.5% of all CO2 (i expect it's much less especially now with so many working from home, but heavy duty trucks continue to barrel across the globe ceaselessly). so at this point, as far as my own 'contribution', i don't care.
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sou...transportation
i also do not see on the horizon "heavy duty trucks" being replaced with BEVs unless hydrogen powered, and then there's hideous, unregulated, diesel belching container ships and large jet fuel using planes travelling in the millions across the globe.
anyway, tesla's efforts are to be applauded, but they will make almost no difference at all from a pollution standpoint, but what this is really about is reclaiming materials to save money and be re-used in batteries so they can sell more vehicles.
08-09-21, 03:02 PM
#7
Well, it will happen in Elon time. Which is anyone's guess!
My understanding is, after batteries are no longer viable for car use, they may be repurposed. House batteries car a prime candidate.
My understanding is, after batteries are no longer viable for car use, they may be repurposed. House batteries car a prime candidate.
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08-09-21, 03:05 PM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
For people that want to delve into what Tesla is actually doing they put out a 2020 impact report, extremely comprehensive. Tesla is very serious about producing vehicles with the lowest possible carbon and general pollution footprint as possible.
https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/2020...act-report.pdf
08-09-21, 06:19 PM
#9
https://qz.com/1655268/us-military-i...ries-combined/
08-09-21, 06:38 PM
#10
I think we need to stop using tires or eliminate US Pentagon.
https://qz.com/1655268/us-military-i...ries-combined/
https://qz.com/1655268/us-military-i...ries-combined/
08-09-21, 07:40 PM
#12
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
I think progress is always good and driving sustainability is a worthy effort. If we are moving to a BEV world, then this is great progress and will only get better. If you want to mock progress so be it, but sounds pretty petty at this point given its only beneficial to do this. 
08-09-21, 07:46 PM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
This can make tesla money or save money, provide resources to make more batteries, and get green brownie points, so win win win. Will make NO difference to the environment, whatsoever.
08-09-21, 07:58 PM
#14
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
So you are saying recycling batteries is no better than mining batteries? I think recycling anything is better than using raw materials but i guess we can agree to disagree on this.
08-09-21, 08:47 PM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Not having to mine resources from scratch is a major win, creates a near closed loop system. Sure you still use energy recycling the materials but you'll use vastly more energy to mine, transport, refine etc. from scratch. BTW from that Tesla impact report the solar products they've sold has produced far more energy than Tesla has used in total making products. Meaning Tesla has a net positive carbon footprint. Wonder if anyone will complain about that. It's only going to get better Giga Texas is only starting to install rooftop solar when finished they will generate more than enough power to run the entire factory.