Porsche launched a battery recycling pilot to recover valuable raw materials from high-voltage batteries after their use in vehicles. The initiative tests a potential closed-loop raw material cycle, addressing the growing importance of recycled battery raw materials and promoting responsible battery handling. Porsche plans to build a long-term recycling network in collaboration with external partners.

Porsche Battery Recycling Pilot Takes a Three-Phase Approach

The pilot project includes three phases designed to test a scalable process. In the first phase, Porsche mechanically shreds high-voltage batteries from development vehicles at the end of their use phase. The process turns them into “black mass,” a granulate mixture that contains valuable raw materials like nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium. So far, the company said it has produced approximately 65 tons of this material.

In the second phase, Porsche will refine the “black mass” and separate it into essential raw materials for high-voltage battery production. Porsche prioritizes the quality and purity of recycled materials to ensure they meet standards for new EV batteries.

In the third phase, Porsche will produce new high-voltage battery cells that include a defined portion of recycled content. The company will test these cells for potential use in future Porsche vehicles. This effort reflects Porsche’s circular economy strategy: recover, process, and reuse raw materials from retired high-voltage batteries. This model could extend the lifecycle of key materials and reduce the environmental impact of battery production.

Porsche Sustainable Battery Initiatives

With the Porsche battery recycling pilot, the company said it aims to lead in closed battery raw material cycles. Porsche also prepares for upcoming regulatory shifts, such as EU requirements for battery content starting in 2031.