SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 13, 2021 – The United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), today announced the award of a $2 million contract to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Massachusetts for battery recycling technology development.
The contract award, which includes a 50 percent cost share, funds a phase III, 36-month project with WPI that began in March. The program’s focus is to lower the cost and improve the performance of recycled battery cathode materials relative to equivalent commercially sourced materials. The Phase III program will focus on a higher nickel content material (versus Phase II) while also increasing the recycled content of the recycled material.
USABC is a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR). Enabled by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), USABC’s mission is to develop electrochemical energy storage technologies that enable widespread commercialization in vehicle applications. In support of its mission, USABC has developed mid- and long-term goals to guide its projects and measure progress. For more information, visit https://uscar.org/usabc.
“This battery recycling contract with WPI is part of USABC’s broad battery technology research and development program,” said Steve Zimmer, executive director of USCAR. “Programs like this are critical to advancing the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable broader scale vehicle electrification.”
About DOE
The U.S. Department of Energy’s overarching mission is to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States. DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office works with industry, academia and national laboratories to develop advanced transportation technologies that improve energy efficiency, increase energy security, and reduce operating cost for consumers and business. Electrochemical energy storage has been identified as a key enabling technology for advanced, fuel-efficient, light and heavy-duty vehicles.
About USCAR
Founded in 1992, the goal of USCAR is to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative research and development. For more information, visit www.uscar.org.
All USCAR Member companies have joined in becoming signatories of the Responsible Raw Materials Initiative (RRMI, now part of the Responsible Minerals Initiative, RMI) Declaration of Support.