Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Redwood Materials expanded their recycling agreement to create pathways for automotive batteries used in Toyota’s electrified vehicles that have reached the end of their life. The plan also includes an agreement for Toyota to source Cathode Active Material (CAM) and Anode copper foil from Redwood’s recycling activities for Toyota’s future automotive battery production. The agreement builds on the collaboration with Redwood announced last year for battery collection and recycling of Toyota’s hybrid and battery electric vehicle batteries.

Toyota said its automotive battery recycling needs are expected to grow substantially in the coming years as more of its EVs, such as first-generation Prius models introduced more than 20 years ago, reach the end of their lifecycle. With a large amount of Toyota’s retiring fleet of electrified vehicles being in California, Redwood said its Nevada recycling facility will support Toyota’s North American supply chain, which will improve sustainability, and help to enhance operational improvements across the TMNA enterprise for a closed-loop battery ecosystem. Toyota’s battery lifecycle ecosystem is forecast to include the recycling, remanufacturing and repurposing of the nearly five million operating units.

As stated above, Toyota has agreed to develop a closed-loop framework that also includes plans to procure Cathode Active Material (CAM) and copper foil from Redwood as part of a long-term agreement. Based on the parameters of the agreement, Cathode Active material recovered and produced from Redwood’s recycling activities are expected to feed recycled material into future new battery production at Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC). The use of recycled materials is anticipated to help increase the focus and relevance of domestic supply chains versus the extensive, carbon-intensive current supply chain of procuring outside of the United States, Toyota said. The company plans to bring its nearly $14 billion TBMNC automotive battery manufacturing facility online in 2025.