Toyota Makes Use of Old Prius Hybrids, Recycles for New EV Batteries

Nov 20, 2023 11:21 PM EST

Toyota Pius — (Photo : Pexels/Garvin St. Villier )

In a groundbreaking announcement on Thursday, Toyota is revolutionizing its approach to sustainable technology with an innovative partnership alongside Redwood Materials. This pivotal agreement marks a significant milestone in the automotive industry, as Redwood Materials gains the capability to recycle batteries from millions of aging Toyota Prius hybrids.

Toyota- Eco-Friendly Move

This eco-conscious endeavor aligns perfectly with Toyota's unwavering commitment to electric vehicles (EVs). Leveraging the salvaged materials, Toyota is poised to manufacture cutting-edge EV batteries that will define the future of electric mobility. This collaborative effort between Toyota Prius hybrids, Redwood Materials, and their expanded partnership demonstrates the automotive giant's dedication to environmental responsibility and its pledge to lead the EV revolution.

Business Insider reports that nearly two decades ago, the Toyota Prius hybrid made history on the car industry through its cutting-edge technology. Now, many of these older Prius models are reaching the end of their usable lifespan.

However, Thursday's game-changing agreement between Toyota and Redwood Materials offers a promising solution. Redwood Materials, under this new deal, will play a pivotal role in recycling the aging batteries from these Prius hybrids, ensuring that valuable materials are not wasted.

But Toyota Prius journey does not end here. Toyota has bigger plans in mind - they want to recycle these materials to make batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), giving them a fresh start. This eco-friendly initiative is part of Toyota's sustainable and grander vision, which involves constructing a cutting-edge $14 billion facility in North Carolina, set to open in 2025.

The Process

According to Green Car Reports, this major move from Toyota is an expansion of their existing partnership with Redwood Materials. Under this expanded agreement, Toyota will procure battery materials from Redwood Materials to be used in future battery manufacturing.

While Toyota initially announced its collaboration with Redwood on battery material recycling in June 2022, it is now officially confirming its intention to incorporate recycled materials from Redwood into its battery production. This move comes after Redwood Materials secured a substantial $2 billion loan from the Department of Energy earlier this year, earmarked for the expansion of its operations.

Under the expanded agreement between Toyota and Redwood Materials, Toyota will secure cathode active material and anode copper foil, identified as the key components of battery cells, from Redwood. These components, which currently entail significant production costs and are predominantly manufactured overseas, will be supplied to Toyota's Battery Manufacturing North Carolina plant set to commence operations in 2025.

While these materials could find their way into hybrid batteries produced at the plant, Toyota's primary motivation, driven by the policies of the Biden administration and the requirements for the federal EV tax credit, is to utilize them in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. These tax-credit regulations mandate the sourcing of battery raw materials domestically or from countries with which the U.S. has free trade agreements, aligning with the current foreign policy discouraging the importation of battery materials from China. Materials from Japan and South Korea may currently meet these criteria, but the long-term sustainability of this loophole remains uncertain, making a U.S.-based recycling approach a more secure option.