GM Delivers EVs Built with Fully Recycled Battery Materials

General Motors has begun delivering electric vehicles built with battery cells manufactured from fully recycled cathode active material. The cells were produced following a closed-loop recycling trial conducted with battery recycling firm Cirba Solutions.

Spent GM EV battery packs were sent to Cirba Solutions' lithium-ion recycling facility in Ohio. There, the packs were broken down into Black Mass, a concentrated material recovered from shredded battery cells. This material was then processed through a separate partnership into cathode active material that met the performance standards required of newly mined minerals.

Ultium Cells, the GM-LG Energy Solution joint venture, used this recycled CAM to produce battery cells. GM then assembled these cells into modules and packs at its Factory Zero and Spring Hill assembly plants. The completed vehicles have since rolled off the production line and are being delivered to customers.

The Closed-Loop Process

The trial demonstrates the potential for closed-loop material recovery in the automotive industry. GM points to industry estimates that close to 14 million EV batteries will reach the end of their working life worldwide by 2040. Annual demand for lithium-ion batteries is forecast to reach between 4.2 and 6.8 TWh over the coming decade.

Melissa Flaherty, GM's sustainable EV battery ecosystem director, commented on the partnership's significance. "This pilot shows that the value of an EV battery can extend well beyond its first life," she said. Flaherty added that strong partnerships across the battery ecosystem are essential for building a more circular, resilient future for the technology.

Industry Context and Ambitions

GM stated that increasing domestic processing capabilities opens opportunities for advancing closed-loop models for all battery formats. This includes applications for electric vehicles, energy storage systems, data centers, and consumer devices. Cirba Solutions operates as a vertically integrated battery recycling business in North America, extracting critical materials from scrap and retired batteries for reintroduction into the supply chain.

The development follows a similar announcement earlier this month from Porsche. The German manufacturer also produced battery cells using cathode material derived entirely from recycled lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, calling it a first.

GM's initiative directly addresses the scaling challenge of battery material supply. The process proves that recycled minerals can meet the stringent performance benchmarks required for new vehicle production. The automaker's statement highlights the role of partnerships in building a sustainable battery ecosystem from the plant floor to the end consumer.