November 24, 2025: Battery giant Clarios has revealed it is in the site selection and engineering phase for a new US-based battery recycling and critical minerals processing facility.

Meanwhile, the lead and lithium company said on November 11 it planned to fast-track the restart of idled facilities at its plant in Florence, South Carolina to “quickly expand” battery recycling capacity and boost critical minerals processing.

There will be a rapid retooling of the facilities which Clarios said offers one of the fastest routes to scale and secure domestic capacity.

And in a related move, to immediately increase US-available battery supply, Clarios is implementing AI automation and capacity upgrades at its existing facilities in Mexico.

In terms of the new facility, Clarios did not disclose the cost or timetable of the project but said it would represent a major investment in US-based recovery and refining, creating a cornerstone for domestic supply chain resilience.

Collectively, these initiatives will provide additional recycling capacity of up to 400,000 tonnes, the company said.

Clarios will also continue to evaluate opportunities to acquire existing battery recycling capacity.

All of the announcements are parts of a 10-year, $6 billion plan, announced in March, to expand battery manufacturing and help boost US energy and critical minerals independence.

Clarios’ upgrading of its Mexico facilities comes just months after battery-making rival EnerSys said it would close its flooded lead acid battery manufacturing facility in Monterrey, and switch production to its existing Kentucky plant while expanding capacity in the US and Europe.

Batteries International reported in August that Clarios would acquire three lead battery recycling plants in Europe from Ecobat — as predicted by the magazine.