General Motors has equipped EVs with battery cells whose cathode material contains nickel, cobalt, and manganese sourced entirely from recycled materials for the first time. The material comes in part from end-of-life GM batteries. The process was initially tested as part of a pilot project with Cirba Solutions and other partners.
For the pilot, 80 end-of-life EV batteries were processed. This initially produced so-called black mass, an intermediate material containing various battery raw materials. According to GM, further processing produced more than 12 metric tons of new cathode active material.
Recycled Material Must Meet Requirements for New Cells
According to GM, the material was subsequently tested for quality, safety, and performance. Cells containing the recovered materials reportedly met comparable requirements to cells made from newly mined materials.
Ultium Cells, a joint venture between GM and LG Energy Solution, then manufactured new battery cells using the material. GM then assembled these cells into modules and battery packs. In September 2026, the first vehicles from several GM brands equipped with these cells rolled off the production line.
However, the pilot covers only a limited portion of the battery material cycle. The stated 100% recycled content applies exclusively to the nickel, cobalt, and manganese in the cathode active material.
GM Also Pursues Battery Reuse Before Recycling
GM is also examining other uses for used batteries. According to the company, its remanufacturing and refurbishment programs are designed to reuse more than 70% of the components in a battery pack. Together with Redwood Materials, GM also plans to deploy around 10,000 used batteries in stationary energy storage systems.
Sources:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/closing-the-loop-battery-recycling-pilot-uses-100-recycled-critical-minerals-to-power-new-gm-evs-302886163.html
https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/topic/us/en/2026/sep/0922-recycled-minerals-gm-ev-batteries.html
