NFI expands partnership with Li-Cycle to facilitate full-circle sustainable mobility, material recapture through lithium-ion battery recycling

NFI Group Inc. (NFI) has expanded its partnership with lithium-ion battery recycler, Li-Cycle Corp. (Li-Cycle), to now offer heavy-duty electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling to public transit customers in North America through Li-Cycle.

The partnership builds upon successful completion of an EV battery recycling pilot program between NFI subsidiary New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer) and Li-Cycle, originally announced in January 2021. The pilot was Li-Cycle’s first program in the heavy-duty vehicle space.

Li-Cycle can now provide battery recycling for all NFI vehicles, including New Flyer, MCI, Alexander Dennis and ARBOC. As zero-emission adoption continues to expand across North American public transit, the accumulation of end-of-life batteries will increase demand for heavy-duty battery recycling. NFI’s partnership with Li-Cycle aims to provide operators a viable option for battery recycling, in turn delivering full-circle sustainability.

“Since the inception of our pilot project with Li-Cycle, we have witnessed closed loop resource recovery and environmental stewardship in action – which strongly aligns with our focus on sustainability,” said Chris Stoddart, president, North American Bus and Coach, NFI. “We are optimistic about Li-Cycle’s ability to support increasing demand for battery recycling, and more importantly, to promote it as a viable alternative for recapturing precious minerals for re-entry into the supply chain. As North America’s leader in electric mass mobility solutions, it was only natural to partner with North America’s largest lithium-ion battery recycler.”

Li-Cycle offers a closed loop lithium-ion battery resource recovery service producing minimal solid waste and zero liquid and air emissions that can sustainably produce battery-grade lithium, nickel and cobalt products.

Li-Cycle recovers critical materials from lithium-ion batteries and reintroduces them into the supply chain. It achieves this through 95 percent recovery of all lithium-ion battery materials – extracting high-grade materials for battery reproduction at a cost lower than mined and refined material. Its patented wet recycling processes battery materials hydro-metallurgically, and outputs high-purity battery chemicals to be redirected to the lithium-ion battery supply chain and broader economy. In addition, Li-Cycle’s wet-chemistry process requires lower energy consumption than traditional high temperature processes and is fully sustainable, with no solid or liquid waste and zero-impact air emissions.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with NFI following the successful completion of our pilot program as we continue to scale our proven, commercial, and environmentally friendly lithium-ion battery recycling technologies,” said Kunal Phalpher, chief commercial officer, Li-Cycle. “Through our continued collaboration, NFI and Li-Cycle will contribute to a circular economy by recycling heavy-duty EV batteries in a truly sustainable, fit-for-purpose pathway.”

New Flyer and Li-Cycle are both members of CALSTART, an international nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the pace of clean technology and the adoption of clean transportation.