JB Straubel

JB Straubel, Tesla’s reputed co-founder, is trying to recover all the electric vehicle (EV) batteries he can and recycle them in his bid for a circular, closed-loop supply chain. Redwood Materials, Straubel’s Nevada-based company, has been focused on recycling scraps and used cells from auto dealers and other partners since its 2017 founding—but it has since also scoured for batteries damaged by fires and floods caused by the climate crisis, as well as from road accidents.

Redwood’s proprietary process of retrieving up to 95% of the critical minerals needed to power EVs, while reducing carbon emissions compared to traditional battery recycling methods, boils down to Straubel’s passion for a fossil-fuel free future. (He even told Stanford students in February that he’s taken on an activist mantle by how much he advocates for its phasing out.) And the process has since earned the trust of the auto industry’s biggest names. In September, BMW joined Redwood’s roster of customers which includes Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi, and Panasonic. And last year, the U.S. Department of Energy committed a $2 billion loan for expanding Redwood’s operations.
The success is a hefty weight to bear. Straubel thinks the future of the nascent battery and materials recycling industry rests on him, especially with the expected headwind of cell supply outstripping demand given EVs have a longer shelf life than internal combustion engines. But he’s nonetheless confident in the power of entrepreneurship to scale up sustainability efforts: “We’re absolutely at a moment in history where we have to reinvent everything… and it all has to happen so incredibly fast.”