Mercedes launches first electric car battery recycling facility in Europe
On Monday, Mercedes-Benz officially opened a plant in Germany dedicated to recycling electric vehicle batteries. The CEO of the luxury carmaker praised the facility as a "key milestone" in enhancing the sustainability of the industry.
TroibNews 
On Monday, Mercedes-Benz launched a new facility in Germany dedicated to recycling electric vehicle batteries, with the company's leader emphasizing this as a "key milestone" in promoting the sustainability of the sector.
Located in Kuppenheim, a town in the southwestern part of Germany, the plant is equipped to recycle 2,500 tonnes of materials annually, contributing to the production of approximately 50,000 batteries for the automaker's electric vehicle lineup.
"Marks a key milestone towards enhancing raw-materials sustainability," stated Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius.
During the inauguration, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz highlighted the importance of recycling for electric vehicle batteries, noting that it is "key."
He added, "The circular economy is a growth engine and, at the same time, an essential building block for achieving our climate targets."
With an EU deadline looming to end the sale of fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035, there is an increasing emphasis on the production and recycling of electric car batteries within the European Union.
In addition to minimizing waste from electric vehicles, recycling is viewed as crucial for enhancing European independence in the battery manufacturing sector, given that essential materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium are predominantly sourced from outside the region.
Mercedes has poured tens of millions of euros into the construction of the new facility, which is designed to recycle over 96 percent of battery materials.
The plant handles every step of the recycling process, from shredding battery modules to drying and processing the materials, as detailed by the company.
The extraction of critical metals will be accomplished individually through a chemical process and will serve to produce new battery cells.
According to Mercedes, the plant operates with lower energy consumption and generates less waste compared to other recycling facilities in Europe.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
Located in Kuppenheim, a town in the southwestern part of Germany, the plant is equipped to recycle 2,500 tonnes of materials annually, contributing to the production of approximately 50,000 batteries for the automaker's electric vehicle lineup.
"Marks a key milestone towards enhancing raw-materials sustainability," stated Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius.
During the inauguration, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz highlighted the importance of recycling for electric vehicle batteries, noting that it is "key."
He added, "The circular economy is a growth engine and, at the same time, an essential building block for achieving our climate targets."
With an EU deadline looming to end the sale of fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035, there is an increasing emphasis on the production and recycling of electric car batteries within the European Union.
In addition to minimizing waste from electric vehicles, recycling is viewed as crucial for enhancing European independence in the battery manufacturing sector, given that essential materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium are predominantly sourced from outside the region.
Mercedes has poured tens of millions of euros into the construction of the new facility, which is designed to recycle over 96 percent of battery materials.
The plant handles every step of the recycling process, from shredding battery modules to drying and processing the materials, as detailed by the company.
The extraction of critical metals will be accomplished individually through a chemical process and will serve to produce new battery cells.
According to Mercedes, the plant operates with lower energy consumption and generates less waste compared to other recycling facilities in Europe.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
