The Department of Energy announced the move on June 12 as part of a $192 million funding program including a new battery recycling initiative that will feature a national disposal and collection education program.

Up to $60 million of the overall funding will support creation of the R&D consortium aimed at encouraging EV manufacturers, universities, mineral and material suppliers and others to work together in planning the next phase of an anticipated expansion of EV sales.

The DOE is also continuing its lithium ion battery recycling prize scheme, which was launched in 2019 and has awarded $5.5 million to date for innovative solutions to collecting, sorting, storing and transporting spent and discarded lithium ion batteries.

A total of more than $7 million has now been allocated as part of the overall funding program to support the latest iteration of the prize as well as a new ‘breakthrough contest’.