US company strikes partnership to solve major issue with EVs: 'We will drive innovation'

Ascend Elements, an American company that engineers battery materials, has agreed to collaborate with GEM Co., a Chinese company that specializes in battery recycling. 

According to a press release, the "milestone" agreement will see the companies partner to develop a network for lithium-ion battery recycling that includes the recovery of critical minerals in Europe. 

There are many benefits to this partnership. First and foremost, it helps prevent waste, but it also puts less strain on finite resources. 

Electric car batteries require rare minerals that have to be mined from the Earth. However, the recycling of minerals in existing batteries reduces the need for extracting new resources, which in turn decreases the need for mining and the associated pollution.  

It can also help prevent toxins from these batteries from leaching into groundwater and soil, which can happen if batteries are not disposed of appropriately. 

This is just the latest partnership between companies driving battery innovation. Companies based in Nevada, Florida, and Ontario in Canada are working on a similar recycling project for North America. 

All of this is good news for those thinking of making the switch to electric vehicles. The collaboration should make electric car batteries more affordable and efficient. 

There are many compelling reasons to switch to an electric car. Electric vehicle drivers save money because they don't need to spend as much on costly maintenance, while charging a battery is less expensive than filling a gas tank. 

Those savings can be increased by charging at home with solar energy. Doing so could even mean paying nothing to refuel your vehicle. EnergySage's free tools can help you get started on your solar journey. 

EVs also help the environment because they don't release harmful, planet-warming tailpipe pollution into the atmosphere — they don't even have a tailpipe. 

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Electric vehicles continue to gain in popularity. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, S&P Global Mobility estimated that electric vehicles might account for 50% of all car sales in the United States by the year 2030. 

The leaders behind the companies were understandably excited about the future potential of their collaboration. 

"We are delivering a fully integrated, localized battery industrial ecosystem that addresses both sustainability and regulatory requirements, while supporting the energy transition and driving economic value," said Linh Austin, president and CEO of Ascend Elements. 

"By working together, we will drive innovation in battery recycling and engineered materials production," added Professor Xu Kaihua, chairman of GEM.

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