From helping kickstart the electric vehicle revolution at Tesla to now leading the charge for a more sustainable battery supply chain, Tesla co-founder J.B. Straubel has become one of the most influential figures in the push toward an emissions-free future. So it’s only fitting that his latest venture, Redwood Materials, just landed on TIME’s prestigious annual list of the 100 most influential companies.
For those unfamiliar, Redwood Materials is spearheading efforts to create a truly circular economy for EV batteries through its cutting-edge recycling processes. The startup’s proprietary techniques can recover up to an incredible 95% of valuable materials like nickel, cobalt and lithium from spent battery packs.
As TIME notes, even from Tesla’s early days, J.B. Straubel recognized that finding ways to reuse and recycle EV batteries would ultimately be key to driving down costs and making electric cars a viable mainstream product. Redwood’s recycling processes aim to solve that very challenge by recapturing and refining those pricey battery minerals for reuse by manufacturers.
A Sustainability Superstar on the Rise
Redwood’s impact and monumental growth over just the past year alone likely played a major role in securing its influential status. In January, the company broke ground on a massive $3.5 billion recycling facility in South Carolina backed by $2 billion in federal loans.
The expansion push comes as major automakers like Ford, Nissan, Panasonic and even JB Straubel former employer Tesla have inked long-term supply deals with Redwood. Toyota was the latest to sign on just last year, with Redwood set to recycle and repurpose the spent batteries from its growing EV lineup.
With sustainability and affordable EV adoption becoming necessities rather than niceties, Redwood Materials is perfectly positioned at the forefront. By tackling one of the biggest logistical and cost hurdles facing the automotive industry’s electric transition, JB Straubel recycling visionaries are more than deserving of their influential status.
The path to a greener automotive future won’t be easy. But if any company can help pave the way by solving the battery sustainability conundrum, it’s the mind behind Redwood Materials. No wonder TIME is shouting their praises from the rooftops in 2024.