Volkswagen Group UK has signed an agreement with Ecobat, the battery recycling specialist, to collect and recycle EV batteries.
Under the agreement, Ecobat will collect EV batteries to recycle lithium-ion battery materials at a new lithium-ion recycling centre in the UK.
The company will collect high-voltage batteries from dealers, distributors, and end-of-life recycling centres using Ecobat’s ADR compliant vehicles.
Ecobat has a relationship with Volkswagen Group UK dating back to 2014 when it started collecting lead acid batteries for TPS, the vehicle manufacturer’s genuine parts provider to the independent motor trade.
The contract was expanded in 2019, when Ecobat started working with high-voltage batteries, and since the company’s UK Diagnostics and Disassembly Centre in Darlaston in the West Midlands was opened, it has processed and upgraded thousands of batteries.
Sylvain Charbonnier, Director of One Aftersales for Volkswagen Group UK, said, “As we move to decarbonise road transport, the number of electric vehicles in our car parc is rapidly increasing, and we need to ensure sustainability throughout the lifecycle.
“Working with our trusted partners, we are confident we can reassure our dealers and customers that we are responsibly moving towards our electrification goals.”
Elliott Ethridge, Vice President of Global Sales for Ecobat, said, “We have been recycling lead batteries for VWG UK for a decade, and we are delighted to be able to extend our relationship to recycle EV lithium-ion batteries.
“Lithium-ion is a fast-growing technology, and our recycling operations can handle everything from small-format batteries to EV batteries.
“We also recover scrap, byproducts, end-of-life, and damaged products to help make lithium-ion battery production more sustainable. Our expertise in recycling and recovering scarce battery materials will benefit both Volkswagen Group and the environment.”
