According to new figures in Tesla’s 2021 Impact Report, recycled batteries have returned over 92 percent of their original raw materials to company for future use.
Tesla’s plants already have a closed-loop recycling mechanism in place. This allows the company to recycle all of the batteries it gets, with up to 92 percent of the raw components being reused.
Tesla also revealed some information on their battery chemistry, noting that lithium accounts for just approximately 1.5 percent of the total battery pack weight. There is no cobalt or nickel in their iron phosphate battery packs.
While Tesla recognises the crucial role that battery recycling will play in delivering a portion of the rear earth minerals required for a closed-loop supply chain, worldwide cell manufacturing will continue to rely largely on primary, mined materials in the near to medium term to fulfill expanding demand.
For cells using NCA and NCM cathodes, the business is working toward greater nickel levels in order to enhance vehicle range while decreasing overall battery prices, without sacrificing overall cell performance, such as battery safety and longevity, which is presently enabled by cobalt.
The company’s total cobalt consumption is expected to rise since the rate of growth in vehicle and cell manufacturing is expected to outpace the overall rate of cobalt decrease on a per cell basis.
Reference- Tesla’s 2021 Impact Report, PR Newswire Feed, Inside EVs