Battery recycling firm Ecobat has agreed to promote its German and Austrian operations to vitality storage agency Clarios in a transaction highlighting the business’s shift towards EV battery recycling because the market prepares for explosive progress.
The Dallas-based firm introduced the binding settlement covers amenities in Freiberg and Braubach, Germany, plus Arnoldstein, Austria, with completion anticipated by early 2026 pending regulatory approvals. The crops give attention to lead-acid battery recycling reasonably than lithium-ion batteries utilized in electrical automobiles.
“Upon completion, this transaction – together with the beforehand introduced divestitures of France, Italy, and Battery Distribution – will allow Ecobat to pay attention its efforts on core recycling operations, in addition to our world lithium-ion battery enterprise,” mentioned Tom Slabe, President and CEO of Ecobat.
The deal displays broader business positioning as EV battery recycling prepares for unprecedented growth. The EV battery recycling market was valued at $4.81 billion in 2024 and is predicted to surpass $73.18 billion by 2034, representing a compound annual progress charge of 31.30%. Analysts undertaking round 2 million metric tons of lithium-ion battery waste might be generated globally by 2025, pushed by speedy electrical car adoption.
Ecobat has invested closely in lithium-ion battery recycling amenities, together with new crops in Hettstedt, Germany, Casa Grande, Arizona, and Darlaston, England. The corporate’s strategic pivot comes as greater than 13 per cent of recent automobiles offered in 2023 have been electrical, creating excessive demand for lithium-ion batteries globally.
For Clarios, which owns the Varta automotive battery model, the acquisition expands its European recycling capabilities as rules tighten. The European Union has set targets geared toward recycling at the very least 50% of lithium-ion batteries by 2025 as a part of its broader sustainability initiatives.
The amenities primarily course of lead-acid batteries, which at present dominate the broader battery recycling market with greater than 84% income share in 2023. Nonetheless, business focus is quickly shifting towards lithium-ion batteries as EV adoption accelerates.
Main automakers are establishing closed-loop recycling methods to safe materials provides. Tesla has partnered with Redwood Supplies to recuperate lithium, nickel and cobalt, whereas Common Motors collaborates with Li-Cycle for battery materials recycling. BMW just lately launched a partnership to recycle high-voltage batteries throughout Europe.
“Clarios’ experience and strategic imaginative and prescient supply a powerful basis for the continued success of those operations in Germany and Austria,” Slabe mentioned, expressing confidence the corporate will “foster and improve the valued relationships now we have constructed with our staff, prospects, and suppliers throughout Europe.”
The transaction includes amenities that recuperate lead and numerous plastics from typical lead-acid starter batteries. Rothschild & Co is serving as monetary advisor to Ecobat, with White & Case offering authorized counsel. The deal underscores how conventional battery recyclers are repositioning operations to capitalize on the continued EV revolution.
