At Mercedes-Benz, we are committed to shaping the future of mobility through innovation and cutting-edge technology. After achieving net carbon neutrality at our production sites in 2022, we’ve taken the next big step toward closing the material loop with our very own battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim, Germany – the first of its kind in Europe.

Manuel Michel, head of battery recycling at Mercedes-Benz, explains that by recovering and reusing valuable resources, Mercedes-Benz is helping pave the way to a future of responsible electric mobility. “The opening of our own pilot plant for recycling lithium-ion battery systems is an important milestone in the global Mercedes-Benz battery recycling strategy,” he says.

With our new battery recycling plant, we are the first car manufacturer in the world with our own in-house facility enabling a closed loop.

Ulf Zillig, vice president of group research, sustainability and research and development functions, adds that Mercedes-Benz is backing our pioneering spirit and innovative strength to establish a real circular economy in order to significantly reduce the consumption of valuable primary resources. “We are convinced the circular economy is key to building the most desirable cars in a more sustainable way,” he says. “We see today’s batteries as a mine for tomorrow’s batteries.”

Closing the loop on battery recycling

In 2024, the world saw a surge in electric vehicle adoption, with around 17 million electric vehicles sold globally – a 25 per cent increase from 2023. But this rapid growth presented another challenge: how can we responsibly dispose of lithium-ion batteries while reducing reliance on finite resources like lithium, cobalt and nickel?

Rather than rely on traditional battery disposal methods that are not only environmentally harmful but also waste valuable materials, the Mercedes-Benz battery recycling facility tackles these issues head-on.

“With our own battery recycling system, we can bring recycled materials back into the loop for new Mercedes-Benz batteries,” says Manuel. “This allows us to conserve valuable primary raw materials and strengthen our independence from volatile raw material markets.”

Mercedes-Benz is committed to a circular economy; our mission is to not only build desirable cars, but sustainable ones.

“With a recovery rate of over 96 per cent of materials, this process is designed to create a truly circular economy for battery materials,” Manuel says.

The company’s commitment to second-life solutions for batteries benefits more than just the automotive industry. Mercedes-Benz is also repurposing used batteries for large-scale, stationary energy storage, extending the lifespan of batteries and reducing waste.

A revolutionary recycling process

To bring this cutting-edge technology to life, Mercedes-Benz teamed up with Primobius GmbH, a joint venture between Perth-based Neometals Ltd (a leader in sustainable supply chains and battery recycling), and Germany’s SMS group GmbH (a private German global plant manufacturer).

“Primobius’ innovative mechanical-hydrometallurgical process completely dispenses with energy-intensive and material-consuming pyrometallurgical process steps and thus stands out from today's available technologies,” says Manuel.

Hydrometallurgy is an advanced process that uses liquids to safely extract valuable metals from old batteries, which maximises recovery while reducing environmental impact. Combining the mechanical and hydrometallurgical recycling processes at one location makes the Kuppenheim facility the first of its kind in Europe. The factory is currently in the commissioning phase.

Preparing for a cleaner future

The pilot plant can process 2500 tonnes of batteries annually, with recovered materials fed back into the production cycle – enough to create over 50,000 new battery modules for fully electric Mercedes-Benz models. But Manuel sees this as just the beginning. “We believe the importance of battery recycling will increase in the 2030s when the take-back of vehicle batteries from today’s electric models begins,” he says. “We want to be prepared for this.”