SP Member News Roundup – July 2021

SP provides a forum for global automotive manufacturers, their large and small suppliers, the US EPA and other government entities from around the world to work together toward a shared vision of an automotive industry with positive environmental impact.

This series collects recent news and updates though July 31, 2021 highlighting efforts of SP member companies and partners to advance initiatives with positive environmental impact.

• Automakers Collaborate on Common Guidance for Supplier Carbon Reporting and Reduction. Developed through a collaborative process between leading global automotive manufacturers – including Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda Development and Manufacturing of America LLC, Stellantis, and Toyota Motor North America – this new guidance document is designed to help companies in the automotive value chain in establishing a framework for carbon reporting and reduction aligned with common industry expectations and requirements. Read More.

• The ABC of sustainability: Autoneum carpets now even more eco-friendly. Thanks to an alternative backcoating (ABC) process, Autoneum carpets are now becoming even more environmentally friendly: By replacing the latex commonly used in standard backcoatings with thermoplastic material, the recyclability of carpets at the end of product life is further improved. In addition, the innovative manufacturing process greatly reduces water and energy consumption and thus CO₂ emissions in production. Read More.

• GM to Source U.S.-Based Lithium for Next-Generation EV Batteries Through Closed-Loop Process with Low Carbon Emissions. General Motors has agreed to form a strategic investment and commercial collaboration with Controlled Thermal Resources to secure local and low-cost lithium. This lithium will be produced through a closed-loop, direct extraction process that results in a smaller physical footprint, no production tailing and lower carbon dioxide emissions when compared to traditional processes like pit mining or evaporation ponds. Read More.

• Behind GM’s plan to help suppliers buy clean energy. Through a new partnership with Shell and its subsidiary MP2 Energy, the automaker is looking to help tackle its Scope 3 emissions by offering its suppliers in Texas the ability to buy renewable energy from Shell at a discount.  Read more.

• Heritage Sustainability Investments and ClimeCo provide capital to Restore the Earth Foundation. Heritage Sustainability Investments, LLC and ClimeCo joined together to provide strategic capital to Restore the Earth Foundation, Inc. (Restore the Earth) to provide for the native trees and planting for the reforestation of 4,000 acres of the Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area in Louisiana.  Read More.

• Honda Engineers Create Bee Habitat on Campus. “If you had asked me two years ago if I would be a beekeeper, I would have said no way,” Chris Lang, Principal Engineer in the Drivetrain Development Division at Honda Development & Manufacturing of Americas’ (HDMA) Auto Development Center (ADC). And yet, that’s just what Lang has found himself doing—in evenings and on weekends—for the last two years. Read More.

• Students Learn About Future of Automotive Through Camp CAR. Honda partnered with The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) to provide a unique STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) experience for high school students this summer.  Camp CAR was a week-long summer day camp intended to educate students, ages 14 to 18, on various aspects of automotive engineering, including simulation and manufacturing. Read More.

• Li-Cycle Announces Partnership with Univar Solutions OnSite Services to Provide Comprehensive Lithium-ion Battery Environmental Services and Solutions. Li-Cycle Corp. announced a partnership with Univar Solutions OnSite Services to provide waste management solutions for lithium-ion batteries. The partnership will leverage Univar Solutions’ expertise in collecting, sorting, and diverting waste on site at such facilities with Li-Cycle becoming a key partner for responsibly managing any lithium-ion battery waste. Read More.

• Li-Cycle and Helbiz Partner to Advance Battery Recycling in Micro-Mobility. Li-Cycle Corp. and Helbiz announced a partnership to create a safe and sustainable recycling solution for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries used in e-scooters and e-bikes. Read More.

• LG and Magna Sign Joint Venture Agreement and Announce Leadership Team. LG Electronics (LG) and Magna International Inc. (Magna) today signed the transaction agreement which establishes a joint venture between the two companies. The creation of the joint venture unifies Magna’s strength in electric powertrain systems and world-class automotive manufacturing, with LG’s expertise in component development for e-motors and inverters. Read More.

• Stellantis Intensifies Electrification. Stellantis N.V. presented a comprehensive electrification strategy, including plans to invest more than €30 billion through 2025 in electrification and software, and targets of over 70 percent of sales in Europe and over 40 percent in the United States to be low emission vehicle (LEV) by 2030. Read More.

• Stellantis Neighbors: Get a Free Rain Barrel. Rain barrels collect rainwater from the roof and gutters, which helps to protect against excess groundwater around the home. This can keep basements drier, and households can save money by using the collected water for their lawn and garden. Stellantis are partnering with mirainbarrel to provide free rain barrels to our neighbors near Detroit Assembly Complex. Read More.

• Ellesmere Port will support sustainable mobility through the production of an all-electric vehicle, starting in 2022. Stellantis announces a £100 million investment in Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant to transform the site for a new era in electric vehicle manufacturing.  Ellesmere Port will become the first Stellantis plant to produce a solely battery-electric model, in both commercial and passenger versions, by the end of next year, for Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot and Citroën brands and for both domestic and export markets. Read More.

• Titan Advanced Energy Solutions Receives Second U.S. Department of Energy Award to Develop an Early Warning System to Identify Dangerous Lithium-Ion Batteries. Titan Advanced Energy Solutions (Titan), focused on using ultrasound technology to help make batteries run better, safer, and longer, received nearly $1.1 million in funding from the U.S. DOE to develop an early warning system that detects hazardous conditions in lithium-ion batteries. This award follows on the heels of Titan’s 2020 Phase I award to build a prototype of the device. The new funding will be used to build a production ready system. Read More.

• Toyota Motor North America partners with Manufacture 2030 to reduce carbon emissions in their supply chain. Toyota Motor North America has launched a programme inviting their entire North American tier 1 supply base to join them on the Manufacture 2030 platform, to work together to reduce GHG emissions. The programme is delivered in partnership with Manufacture 2030, the specialist software and service company focused on reducing supplier emissions at scale, giving global brands greater certainty of hitting their Scope 3 public commitments. Read More.

• ‘The Flight of the Monarch Butterfly- The Pollinator Project’ to Air on Discovery, Science Channel and Animal Planet. Presented as one example helping to save, protect and nurture the monarch butterflies migration to North America, the program explores Toyota’s 17 pollinator gardens throughout its North American operations and shows how they provide food and shelter to critical pollinator species, including the monarch butterflies at various stages of their life cycle along the seasonal migration path. Read More.

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.