Toyota Motor Corporation announced activities that focus on the creation of a circular economy, including a circular ecosystem for the batteries used in its vehicles, in accordance with the broader aim of achieving carbon neutrality.
Toyota’s efforts in this space include developing batteries that are resource-efficient and long-lasting during their first phase of life, so that customers can have peace of mind as they drive their cars over their term of ownership. After that, the batteries can find a second life in either automotive or non-automotive applications through reuse by repackaging (rebuilding) for the envisioned use conditions. Finally, when it is determined that they have reached their end-of-life stage, the company aims to recycle them in a sustainable way that both mitigates the amount of CO2 emitted and allows as much material as possible to be used as stock feed for new battery production.
To represent the path of circularity, the company uses the so-called “Battery 3R” and is now accelerating efforts related to what the three “R’s” represent?1. Reduce, 2. Rebuilt/Reuse, and 3. Recycle?globally, in collaboration with various partners, and considering the availability of local battery production in each country and region.
