BASF, the world’s leading chemical company and biggest chemical supplier for the automotive industry, has been selected by IVECO as its first partner to provide a recycling solution for the lithium-ion batteries of the Group’s electric vehicles.

This decision is part of Iveco Group’s circular economy strategy which follows the 4R Framework – Repair, Refurbish, Repurpose and Recycling – to increase the lifetime of the batteries while decreasing their overall environmental impact.

BASF, which has recently inaugurated Europe’s first co-located centre of battery material production and battery recycling in Schwarzheide, Germany, will organise and manage the entire recycling process for the lithium-ion batteries used on Iveco Group electric vans, buses and trucks.

The agreement includes the collection, packaging, transport, and recycling of batteries, in various European countries including, among others, France, Germany and UK. After collection, BASF will mechanically process the batteries to black mass, from which critical raw materials – such as nickel, cobalt, lithium – can be extracted and recovered for use in the manufacturing of new batteries. Thus, BASF will establish the full battery recycling value chain in Europe to locally provide recycled metals with a low carbon footprint for the battery industry.

“BASF’s broad battery collection network and recycling capabilities in Europe will help us close the loop from end-of-life batteries to new ones. Working together we will enable a circular economy and reduce our CO₂footprint, which is fully in line with the Group’s commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2040,” commented Angela Qu, Chief supply chain officer, Iveco Group.