In this episode, Imogen visits Altilium in Plymouth to see how old electric vehicle batteries are being transformed into brand-new battery materials, using a process that can recover over 95% of critical minerals including lithium, nickel, and cobalt.
Today, the UK imports 100% of the materials needed to build EV batteries. But by recycling “black mass”, the shredded remains of end-of-life battery packs and gigafactory waste, Altilium is producing battery-grade cathode active materials (CAM) right here in Britain.
Imogen breaks down the chemistry behind the process, Altilium’s plans to scale and compares the real-world efficiency of recycling versus mining virgin materials, revealing why battery recycling could be a game-changer for the industry.
With Brexit rules of origin tightening in 2027 and tariffs looming on imported batteries, domestic recycling is becoming a strategic necessity for UK carmakers like Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan.
Is this the missing link to bolster the UK’s EV supply chain?!
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
1:20 Inside Altilium’s Facility
1:46 Where Does Black Mass Come From?
3:00 Critical Minerals
3:29 Creating Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate
6:03 Battery Recycling Vs Mining
8:15 The Industrial Process
9:55 UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy
10:54 Brexit Factor
11:36 JLR Partnership and Testing Recycled Materials
12:36 Where’s the Hard Science?
14:11 Scaling Up!
14:56 Large Scale Recycling Timescale
16:06 Closing thoughts
Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: www.everythingelectric.show
Get your tickets for our live events NOW!
- Everything Electric NORTH – 8th-9th May 2026
- Everything Electric WEST – 12th-13th June 2026
- Everything Electric GREATER LONDON – 11th-12th September 2026
- Everything Electric SYDNEY – 18th-20th September 2026
Fully Charged is 100% independent thanks to YouTube Memberships and Patreons. Without you this channel wouldn’t be possible! If you’d like to help support the Fully Charged channel and its mission:
- To keep current on Electric Vehicles, bookmark ElectricVehicles.
Expert - Visit our LIVE exhibitions in the UK, USA, Canada & Europe: everythingelectric.show
- Become a Patreon
- Subscribe to Fully Charged & the Everything Electric channels
- Subscribe for episode alerts and the Fully Charged newsletter
- Find us on X
- Follow us on Instagram
