BMW opens battery recycling center
The 2025 facility recovers production material for pilot cells.
On December 15, 2025, BMW and its joint venture Encory said their battery recycling center in Salching, Germany, had been commissioned. It focuses on material left over from making cells, including complete cells, for reuse in BMW’s pilot cell production in Parsdorf. [1]
BMW describes the method as direct recycling: residual cell material is mechanically dismantled without being fully returned to its original state. The company says this avoids conventional chemical or thermal processing. That is BMW’s description, not an independent measurement of overall environmental performance. [1]
BMW said the center would expand in stages toward annual capacity in the mid-double-digit tonnes. It did not report achieving that output. [1]
The broader recycling challenge extends beyond factory scrap. The International Energy Agency notes that batteries can remain in vehicles for years, and that reuse or recycling pathways face questions about condition, safety and cost. For drivers thinking about a car’s lifetime footprint, this project is one piece of a developing supply chain; it does not by itself answer what happens to every retired EV battery. [2]
Sources and verification
- BMW Group: Up and running: BMW Group and Encory launch innovative direct recycling to recover battery raw materials ↗
Published December 15, 2025 · reviewed October 28, 2026 - International Energy Agency: Global EV Outlook 2026: Electric vehicle batteries ↗
Undated source · reviewed October 28, 2026
No first-hand reporting, independent testing or interviews are claimed. Editorial standards · Corrections policy.