GM rolls out EVs using fully recycled battery materialsJust AutoGlobalDataUpdatedWed, September 23, 2026 at 2:48 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleAnnual demand for lithium-ion batteriesGeneral Motors (GM) has begun delivering electric vehicles (EVs) built with battery cells manufactured entirely from cathode active material (CAM) made from recycled nickel, cobalt and manganese.The cells were produced following a closed-loop recycling trial conducted with battery recycling materials and management company Cirba Solutions.The initiative saw spent GM EV battery packs routed to Cirba Solutions' lithium-ion recycling plant in Ohio, where they were broken down into Black Mass, a concentrated material recovered from shredded battery cells.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis material was subsequently processed through a separate partnership into CAM that met the performance benchmarks required of newly mined minerals.Ultium Cells, the GM-LG Energy Solution joint venture, then used this recycled CAM to produce battery cells, which GM built into modules and packs at its Factory Zero and Spring Hill plants.The completed vehicles have since rolled off the production line and are being delivered to customers.GM said the trial demonstrates broader potential for closed-loop material recovery, pointing to industry estimates that close to 14 million EV batteries will reach the end of their working life worldwide by 2040.AdvertisementAdvertisementAnnual demand for lithium-ion batteries, meanwhile, is forecast to reach between 4.2 and 6.8 TWh over the coming decade.The automaker said: "Increasing domestic processing capabilities opens opportunities for advancing closed-loop models for all battery formats including EVs, energy storage systems, data centres, consumer devices and more."Cirba Solutions operates as a vertically integrated battery recycling business in North America, extracting critical materials from scrap and retired batteries for reintroduction into the supply chain.GM sustainable EV battery ecosystem director Melissa Flaherty said: "This pilot shows that the value of an EV battery can extend well beyond its first life – and that strong partnerships across the battery ecosystem are essential to building a more circular, resilient future for battery technology."AdvertisementAdvertisementEarlier this month, Porsche also produced battery cells using CAM derived entirely from recycled lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese – a development the German manufacturer called a first."GM rolls out EVs using fully recycled battery materials" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.