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DOE, BIL Fund $45 Million for Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling Innovations
US Department of Energy to drive down recycling costs with new investments from the hard-won Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
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U.S. President Joe Biden signs the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with lawmakers and Cabinet members at the White House on November 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. Kenny Holston/Getty Images
Just two weeks ago, we reviewed seven battery recyclers receiving funding from The US Department of Energy (DOE): Now, the DOE has announced an aditional $44.8 million in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for eight projects dedicated to reducing the costs of recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This investment, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, aims to build a resilient domestic supply chain for high-capacity batteries while supporting a more circular economy for EV components.
With demand for EVs projected to surge and the lithium battery market expected to grow by five to ten times by the decade's end, these initiatives will play a critical role in meeting future supply chain needs. “Finding new life for used batteries will significantly reduce pollution and our reliance on other nations, while lowering costs and supporting the clean energy transition,” US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm stated. The selected projects will support research, development, and demonstration for recycling and second-life applications of EV batteries, with benefits targeted toward both economic efficiencies and environmental sustainability.
Eight projects advancing battery recycling
These are the projects the DOE has selected for this round of funding:
B2U Storage Solutions, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) will receive $3,461,724 to design, fabricate, test, and demonstrate a low-cost, reusable, stackable, fire-resistant, compliant, and real-time monitored system for transporting second-life and defective, damaged, or recycled EV batteries.
Caterpillar Inc (Chillicothe, IL) will receive $5,039,849 to develop a new or improved battery pack design for off-highway (non-light duty) vehicle batteries that will result in a more efficient dismantling process, and explore innovative technologies aimed at reducing labor time needed for dismantling.
General Motors LLC (Pontiac, MI) will receive $7,999,997 to develop and demonstrate an automatic sorting and de-hazarding system for end-of-life EV batteries, with an aim of developing techniques that can be used by automotive recyclers, dealers, and mechanic shops.
ReJoule Incorporated (Signal Hill, CA) will receive $6,316,383 to develop and scale a technology for EV battery diagnostics that will check for system-level safety hazards and detect damage or defects at the point of collection.
Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY) will receive $7,107,540 to develop and demonstrate a process that accelerates condition assessment of collected EV batteries, and semi-automates dismantling of end-of-life EV batteries using machine learning.
Siemens Corporation, Technology (Princeton, NJ) will receive $7,998,766 to demonstrate an automated approach for battery disassembly and apply learnings towards designing batteries that are more easily disassembled.
Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, TN) will receive $4,867,519 to design, develop, demonstrate, and validate innovative compact mobile preprocessing hubs that can be transported and deployed at local collection points to safely dismantle and shred end-of-life EV batteries.
University of Akron (Akron, OH) will receive $2,000,000 to eliminate the flow of plastics/polymers from end-of-life EV battery packs to landfills, while simultaneously retrieving and recycling them to be used as raw materials for new batteries.
Legislative background: The road to today’s funding
The funding for these projects is part of a larger legacy originating from the Biden Administration's ambitious Build Back Better (BBB) framework. Initially proposed as a sweeping infrastructure and social investment package, the plan faced considerable debate and resistance in Congress. After extensive negotiations, the Build Back Better framework was split into two bills: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), focused primarily on physical infrastructure like transportation, energy, and broadband; and a second package that eventually evolved into the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which targeted climate and healthcare initiatives. Both bills had to undergo careful revisions to satisfy lawmakers across the political spectrum, particularly in the Senate, where moderate Democrats and Republicans sought compromises.
The BIL passed with bipartisan support in November 2021, providing unprecedented investment in the U.S. physical infrastructure, including clean energy. However, the IRA’s passage was far narrower, achieved through a special budget reconciliation process in August 2022 with only Democratic votes. Together, these two laws have since created a foundation for clean energy and EV supply chain investments, advancing both environmental and economic goals.
Today’s battery recycling initiatives—part of a broader $200 million DOE program—are just one example of how these legislative victories continue to impact the battery and EV industries, setting the stage for a more resilient and sustainable domestic supply chain. They were victories not only for the Biden Administration but also for the battery and EV industries in the US. Perhaps that's worth remembering on the eve of another Presidential election.
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