SP Member News Roundup – January 2025

SP provides a forum for global automotive manufacturers and their large and small suppliers to work together toward a shared vision of an automotive industry with positive environmental impact.

This monthly series collects recent news and updates through January 2025 highlighting efforts of SP member companies and partners to advance initiatives with positive environmental impact.

  • Alus and Blue Whale Materials Sign Letter of Intent to Accelerate U.S. Battery Materials Market Entry, Alus has signed a Letter of Intent with U.S.-based lithium-ion battery recycling company Blue Whale Materials (BWM). This strategic partnership aims to facilitate Alus’s entry into the U.S. market and bolster BWM’s production capacity for high-grade recycled black mass containing cobalt, nickel, and lithium. Click Here
  • American Battery Technology Company Awarded $144 Million Grant Contract from U.S. Department of Energy for Construction of Second Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Facility, American Battery Technology Company has received a contracted grant award for $144 million of federal investment by the U.S. Department of Energy, with these funds awarded to American Battery Technology Company and its subcontractor Argonne National Laboratory, to support the construction of a new lithium-ion battery recycling facility. Click Here
  • American Battery Technology Company Joins U.S. Department of Energy and Industry Partners to Develop Future Battery and EV Workforce, American Battery Technology Company is pleased to announce its entrance into the U.S. Department of Energy’s Battery Workforce Challenge, and the launch of an ABTC developed new ‘Design for Recyclability’ category for this three-year collegiate and vocational engineering competition. Click Here
  • On the road to net zero: Autoneum further optimizes environmental performance of sustainable Pure technologies for Renault Emblème, Autoneum has supported Renault Group in the development of Renault Emblème, a low-carbon demonstration car designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent over its entire life cycle. As a key partner of the project, Autoneum further optimized the environmental performance of its sustainable Pure technologies, which were used for numerous components in the vehicle interior and exterior. Click Here
  • Extension of sustainable polyester-based product portfolio for commercial vehicles, Autoneum continues to expand its sustainable product portfolio for commercial vehicles with new polyester-based side and rear wall panels. Their carrier material consists of Propylat PET, the Company’s eco-friendly and fully recyclable Pure technology made of 100 percent polyester. Click Here
  • Circulor and Cyclic Materials Pioneer End-to-End Traceability of Rare Earth Elements, Cyclic Materials, the advanced recycling company for rare earth elements (REEs), and Circulor are collaborating to implement the world’s first end-to-end traceability of REEs. Click Here
  • Ford Good Neighbor Plan for West Tennessee, Ford announced its $9 million commitment to community investments, workforce development and protecting the environment. Click Here
  • Hankook Tire and Solvay Collaborate for the Development of ‘Circular Silica’, Hankook Tire & Technology announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Solvay Silica on January 10th to jointly develop the innovative ‘Circular Silica.’ This strategic partnership will focus on collaborating in circular silica development for tire manufacturing. Click Here
  • Hydro and Rio Tinto partner on carbon capture technologies for aluminum smelters, Aluminium and renewable energy company Hydro and Rio Tinto will join forces to identify and evaluate available carbon capture technologies for future implementation in the aluminium electrolysis process. Click Here
  • Hydro awarded USD 17.4 million to bring cutting edge products to the U.S. automotive industry, The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Section 48C Qualifying Advanced Energy Project tax credit program. This follows a competitive process involving over 800 different potential projects around the U.S. Click Here
  • Hydro acquires remaining shares in Hydrovolt, Hydrovolt is a battery recycling and raw materials company established in 2020 as a 50/50 joint venture between Hydro and Northvolt. Hydrovolt is recycling EV and industrial batteries, creating a circular solution for end-of-life batteries by recovering secondary raw materials, including black mass for battery production and aluminum for recycling. Click Here
  • Li-Cycle Partners with High-Performance, Luxury Electric Vehicle (EV) Manufacturer for Exclusive Recycling Agreement in Germany, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. a lithium-ion battery resource recovery company, is pleased to partner with a major auto original equipment manufacturer to recycle lithium-ion battery manufacturing scrap at its Germany Spoke. Click Here
  • Nova Bus partners with Lithion Technologies to strengthen the sustainable electrification of public transit, Nova Bus, a Canadian electric bus manufacturing and a member of the Volvo Group, announces a strategic partnership with Lithion Technologies to enhance the sustainability of its urban transportation solutions. Through this collaboration, end-of-life batteries from Nova Bus buses in use across Canada will be collected, transported, and recycled by Lithion at its Saint-Bruno facility. Click Here
  • Penske Truck Leasing’s Sustainability Technology Innovations Highlighted by U.S. EPA SmartWay Program, Penske Truck Leasing’s sustainability technology innovations have been once again recognized, this time by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay program. Penske has been named an inaugural 2024 SmartWay Leader, with its project, Alternative Fuel Options and Services for Advance-Vehicle Deployment, being profiled on the government agency’s website. Click Here
  • Stellantis and Zeta Energy Announce Agreement to Develop Lithium-Sulfur EV Batteries, Stellantis N.V. and Zeta Energy Corp. announced a joint development agreement aimed at advancing battery cell technology for electric vehicle applications. The partnership aims to develop lithium-sulfur EV batteries with game-changing gravimetric energy density while achieving a volumetric energy density comparable to today’s lithium-ion technology. Click Here
  • A Fresh Coat: Toyota Kentucky Invests $922 Million to Build Advanced Paint Facility, Transformation continues at Toyota Kentucky with a $922 million investment to build a new advanced paint facility and further support electrification efforts. The facility is designed to improve operational efficiencies, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance the quality of vehicle finishes. Click Here
  • Toyota Supports a New Power Source at Brownfield Site in Kentucky, Toyota has agreed to offtake 100 megawatts (MW) of the electricity generated as part of renewable energy company Savion’s Martin County Solar Project through a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). Click Here

SP members may send their environmental sustainability news to info@supplierspartnership.org for consideration in future news roundups. And, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest SP news and updates.

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