Iveco Selects BASF as First Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling Partner

Iveco Group announced that it has selected BASF, the world's leading chemical company and the largest chemical supplier to the automotive industry, as its first partner to provide recycling solutions for lithium-ion batteries in the group's electric vehicles.

This decision is part of Iveco Group's circular economy strategy, which follows the 4R framework – Repair, Refurbish, Reuse and Recycle – to extend the life of batteries while reducing their overall environmental impact.

BASF recently opened Europe's first battery materials production and battery recycling center in Schwarzheide, Germany, which will organize and manage the entire recycling process of lithium-ion batteries used in IVECO Group's electric vans, buses and trucks.

The agreement includes the collection, packaging, transportation and recycling of batteries in several European countries, including France, Germany and the UK. After collection, BASF will mechanically process the batteries into black matter, from which key raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and lithium will be extracted and recycled for use in manufacturing new batteries. BASF will therefore establish a complete battery recycling value chain in Europe to provide the battery industry with locally recycled metals with a low carbon footprint.

"Life cycle thinking is one of the priorities of our sustainability strategy," commented Angela Qu, Chief Supply Chain Officer of Iveco Group. "BASF shares this approach with us and its extensive battery collection network and recycling capabilities in Europe will help us close the loop from end-of-life batteries to new batteries. Together, we will achieve a circular economy and reduce our CO2 footprint, which is fully in line with the group's commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2040."

Dr. Daniel Schonfelder, President of BASF Catalysts and head of the company's Battery Materials and Battery Recycling business, said: "This collaboration with Iveco Group is our first agreement to recycle batteries for electric vans, buses and trucks and is an important step for the expansion of our battery recycling business into commercial automotive applications. And make further progress in this developing market. With our recycling solutions, we aim to support the European market in closing the loop and meeting the ambitious circular economy-focused policy requirements of the EU battery regulations. "