Formula E has agreed a new partnership with Belgian materials technology and recycling group Umicore, while the electric street racing series’ support championship, the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, has signed a deal with logistics group DHL.
Umicore will serve as Formula E’s official battery recycling supplier. It will recycle the lithium-ion battery units and cells used during the first two seasons of the series.
The Formula E batteries from season one and two, created by Williams Advanced Engineering, have been collected and are in the process of being recycled by Umicore. The process comprises sorting, dismantling and recycling, with valuable metals being recovered using proprietary and unique smelting technology – followed by hydrometallurgical treatment.
Recycling includes the recovery of the metals and transformation into metal alloys that will be used again in new rechargeable batteries, or other products. Formula E said Umicore’s unique ‘closed loop’ approach for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries ensures there’s minimal waste or impact on the environment, adding this will be vital as the adoption of electric vehicles becomes more mainstream.
Alejandro Agag, founder and chief executive of Formula E, said: “Sustainability is at the core of both companies, and to be able to recycle our battery cells with a closed loop approach means we’re doing our utmost to limit the impact we have on the environment – while promoting a wider message of clean mobility.”
Meanwhile, DHL, an existing Formula E sponsor, will serve as the global logistics partner of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy.
In its inaugural season, the eTrophy will visit nine cities around the globe. It is the world’s first all-electric championship for production-based cars.
The extended collaboration builds on the 23-year relationship between DHL and Jaguar Land Rover in the production and transport of its vehicles from manufacturing plants to customers around the world.