MG Motor India ties up with Umicore for recycling end-of-life ZS EV batteries

MG Motor India is gearing up to launch their all-electric EV in the country, the ZS EV. The company had already confirmed its plans of launching the ZS EV in India in December this year. And now MG has tied up with Umicore for sustainable recycling of end-of-life batteries for electric vehicles. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Umicore deals in recycling services for Lithium-Ion (Li-ion), Lithium Polymer and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries (NiMH) from all possible applications such as EV/HEV, portable devices and stationary batteries. The company claims to have expertise in end-to-end battery life cycle management along with unique battery value chain that guarantees better operational efficiency, supply security and speed of response.

Second life applications

The company (MG Motor India) believes that a closed loop sustainable recycling solution for minimal waste and minimal impact on the environment is vital to the commitment of facilitating EV adoption and catalysing India's nascent EV revolution. Earlier this month, MG also announced partnership with Exicom Tele-Systems for second-life use of ZS EV batteries to design custom battery packs for non-automotive applications. These battery packs will be used in applications such as home inverters, commercial and industrial UPS, and renewable energy storage, instead of ending up in landfills. The project is aimed at dispelling concerns over the safe disposal of EV batteries, and also towards making the best use of the limited natural resources.

Speaking on the tie-up, Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor India, said, "Over the past few months, we have worked towards creating the right ecosystem for our customers ahead of the launch of the ZS EV, including charging infrastructure. Our association with Umicore focusses on exploring end-of-life applications for used EV battery packs, for environment-friendly battery disposal."

Kedar Rele, Country General Manager, Umicore India, added, "We are extremely delighted to associate with MG which is focussed on harnessing the EV ecosystem in India, underscoring an important opportunity to overhaul our energy infrastructure and make necessary investments in renewables and new grid technologies, for a sustainable future."

MG ZS EV launch in India

The electric SUV will be unveiled on December 5 with a launch sometime in January. The firm will start slow with the ZS EV, and launch the electric SUV in five cities, to begin with. But there will be fast-charging support in these cities. MG is partnering with Fortum to install 50kW CCS/CHAdeMO DC fast charging stations across MG's showrooms in five cities including Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad this year to begin with. MG claims that the ZS EV will be a global offering and will have a driving range of 350km in one single charge. The MG ZS EV could be powered by a 52.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack. A full charge could take eight hours from a wall charger. The firm is choosing this niche model to further highlight its aim of being a technology leader in the automotive industry. It recently opened the country's first digital showroom in Bengaluru in keeping with the same. MG is partnering with Fortum to install 50kW CCS/CHAdeMO DC fast charging stations across MG's showrooms in five cities including Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad this year to begin with.