Toyota to recycle old hybrid batteries to achieve carbon neutrality
What's the story
Toyota has launched a new 'Battery 3R' program, designed to breathe new life into old hybrid car batteries that have reached their expiration date. The 'Battery 3R' program, which stands for Reduce, Rebuilt/Reuse, and Recycle, will be rolled out in five regions namely Japan, the US, Europe, China, and Asia. This initiative is part of Toyota's larger environmental plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.
Plans
The automaker plans for both automotive and non-automotive applications
The program will enable Toyota to repurpose components from older batteries for use in both automotive and non-automotive applications. When batteries are deemed to have reached their end-of-life stage, they will be recycled in a way that minimizes CO2 emissions and allows as much material as possible to be used as raw material for new battery production. This will not only lower the cost of new batteries but also promote the development of innovative batteries that can incorporate reused parts.
Other option
Toyota is also developing a stationary storage battery system
Toyota's 'Battery 3R' program will benefit various types of electric vehicles, including pure electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles. In addition to reusing and recycling old batteries, Toyota plans to create a stationary storage battery system for used electrified vehicle storage batteries. This system will allow the company to properly dispose of discarded batteries from early hybrid models like the Prius, which have been on the market for over two decades.