Porsche is launching a new EV battery recycling pilot to recover valuable raw materials from its cars’ high-voltage battery packs at the end of their useful life in vehicles. The new pilot hopes to develop a “closed-loop” raw material cycle that would have new batteries made from old batteries without the need for new, high carbon cost mineral mining.

The German company best known for building ultra high-performance sports and racing cars has an equally long history in engineering and innovation, and has fully embraced EVs in recent years – launching all-electric versions of its Macan compact crossover and, of course, the excellent Porsche Taycan.

With this new initiative, Porsche engineers hope to address the growing importance of recycled battery raw materials and promote the responsible handling of high-voltage batteries at the end of life.

In the long term, a recycling network for EV batteries is planned to be established in collaboration with external partners.

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“With the help of innovative recycling processes, we strive to increase our independence from volatile and geopolitically unstable raw material markets,” says Barbara Frenkel, Executive Board Member for Procurement at Porsche. “Circular Economy is a core pillar of our sustainability strategy, and with this pilot project, we want to underscore our ambitions.”

Three phase plan

Porsche is advancing its commitment to sustainability by embracing the principles of, “reduce, reuse, recycle.” The company is developing more efficient electric vehicles with longer-lasting batteries, which are repurposed in “Second Life” Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) like the one implemented at its Leipzig plant (above). Now, through a new closed-loop recycling pilot, Porsche is emphasizing that “recycle” part by approaching the project in three phases.

In the first project phase, EV batteries from development vehicles are mechanically shredded at the end of their use-phase and processed into “black mass” that contains valuable raw materials like nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium. So far, the program has produced about 65 tons of processed black mass.

In the next phase, the black mass is further separated and refined until the materials reach both the levels of quality and purity Porsche demands from the “virgin” materials it buys for its new batteries.

In the third phase, Porsche takes the raw materials recovered from its decommissioned high-voltage batteries and makes new batteries with them, demonstrating Porsche’s, “holistic understanding of the circular economy.”

Porsche hopes its new pilot will help prepare the company for upcoming regulatory changes – for example, the expected requirements for batteries in the European Union by 2031. By adopting recycled materials early, the company says it intends to make an active contribution to the technology while further reducing its environmental impact.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Porsche.

Yamaha has announced plans to launch a pair of new five-seater electric golf carts featuring new lithium-ion batteries and vehicle control units developed in-house this June. The launch is scheduled to coincide with the company’s 50 year anniversary in the golf car/golf cart business.

Yamaha Motor launched its first golf cart, the YG292 “Land Car,” in June 1975. That original golf cart was powered by the company’s air-cooled, 292cc 2-stroke snowmobile engine, while its fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite bodywork was developed using the companies maritime and boat-building expertise.

Just as those early golf carts used existing products to shorten their development times, company’s golf carts were one of the earliest product lines to get electrified – and the lessons learned there have influenced other Yamaha e-mobility product lines.

The company’s newest golf carts, five-seater electric models dubbed the G30Es and G31EPs, continue to lean on Yamaha’s top-shelf engineering expertise.

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The in-house developed batteries use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry in their cells, with the company claiming higher levels of reliability and an extended lifespan compared to other battery chemistries it’s worked with. The Yamaha batteries are available in both 4 kWh and 6 kWh capacities, enabling buyers to tailor their choice based on their individual driving range requirements, course conditions, and individual play/mobility preferences.

Both new models are 144.5″ (367 cm) long and 49.5″ (125 cm) wide, with an 84.25″ (214 cm) wheelbase, and are powered by an AC motor with, “superior speed and torque control, combined with optimized regenerative braking and a brushless design,” that, according to Yamaha, give the brand’s new golf carts far greater efficiency than the company’s previous models, resulting in 30% better efficiency.

You can check out more detailed pictures of the Yamaha-developed parts and full specs, below, then let us know what you think of the tuning fork brand’s newest mobility products in the comments.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Yamaha.

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that his administration would impose a 25% tariff on all cars, trucks, and even automotive parts imported into the country. The tariffs kick in April 2nd, and these are the EVs set to be the hardest hit by those tariffs – if any of these are on your shopping list, you’ll want to act now.

Before you rush to comments and start accusing me of fear-mongering, I fully understand that the tariffs won’t have any real impact on the cost of vehicles currently on dealer lots. Those cars and trucks were imported long ago, pre-tariffs, and any newly imposed import tariffs won’t be retroactively applied (not yet, anyway).

I also fully understand that dealers’ gon’ deal, and I’ve already seen both Chicago-area ads from dealers hawking “pre-tariff deals” on new cars and at least a handful of social media posts about the cars at Manheim (one of the industry’s largest used car auction houses) getting blanket price increases in the wake of Trump’s announcement.

So, while we’ve already done a list of what EVs are built where, I’ve taken the next logical step and put together a list of which EV deals are most likely to disappear once the tariffs hit.

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I’ve done a couple of these now, so you probably already know that there were plenty of ways for me to present this information. “Best EVs ..?” Too opinion based. “Cheapest EVs ..?” Too much research. In the end, I went with alphabetical order, by make. And, as for which deals are new this month? You’re just gonna have to read the article. Enjoy!

Audi e-tron EVs

Almost all of Audi’s e-tron EVs, from the Q4 all the way up to the stunning RS e-Tron GT Quattro are made in Germany – and have some kind of promotional offer, from Costco cash, to 0.99% subsidized financing to $12,500 in customer bonus cash when you purchase or lease a select, new 2024 Audi RS e-Tron GT Quattro.

BMW iX

The BMW iX snatched the top spot in J.D. Power EV satisfaction survey on the back of its dealers’ ability to set expectations, and the iX’s ability to live up to them. Made in Germany, and with class-leading dealer support, it’s the opposite of Tesla’s dealerless model in a lot of ways (even if its turn signals are completely superfluous).

If that appeals to you, you’ll want to snatch up one of these BMW’s before the tariffs jack up their already high price tags.

Jeep Wagoneer S

The original inspiration for this article, the Jeep Wagoneer S seems like an automotive Harmonia – the daughter of Ares (Aries) and Aphrodite whose lineage was cursed by Hephaestus, who was himself enraged by Aphrodite’s infidelity with Ares. Similarly, the Wagoneer S was born out of Stellantis’ misguided attempt to spin an upscale “Wagoneer” sub-brand, Hyundai Genesis-style, out of its Jeep brand. And, like Harmonia, the Wagoneer S had no chance.

That’s too bad, because Jeep’s first real EV could have worn a Grand Cherokee E or something and done OK, without muddying the historic Wagoneer waters. If it had, Jeep buyers would have found a capable, 600 hp EV with nearly 300 miles of EPA-rated range.

The battery-powered Jeep is manufactured entirely in Mexico at Stellantis’ Toluca Assembly Plant, making it subject to the 25% tariff starting April 2nd. But if you buy one before EOD on March 31st, Jeep is offering Wagoneer S models with 0% financing for up to 72 months along with up to $3,000 Bonus Cash Allowance.

Polestar 2

Designed in Sweden and manufactured at a factory in Luqiao, China that’s owned by Volvo parent company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group before being imported into the US and marketed as a direct competitor to Tesla, if there was ever an EV that was in the crosshairs of a Musk-led Trump Administration, it would be Polestar.

The company is offering up to $20,000 in Tesla Conquest Cash to Tesla owners looking to trade up into a Polestar, and rumor has it that Geely might try to hold the line on prices as it looks build the brand a foothold in the US. Even if it does, it’s unlikely that $20,000 incentive will last.

Move fast, while someone is still willing to trade you out of your Tesla.

Toyota bZ4X

Despite having a US battery plant that appears to be sitting pretty, Toyota’s bZ4X (along with its Subaru-badged sibling, the Soltera) is manufactured in Japan and imported into the US, which means this five-passenger EV will definitely get slapped around by Trump’s tariffs.

Even so, the bZ4X EV might be the best deal in Toyota’s current lineup with big discounts on both 2024 and 2025 model year bZ4X crossovers happening now.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Despite building one of the most popular legacy-brand EVs, the ID.4, in Chattanooga, TN, Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz electric van is built in Hanover, Germany and imported to the US market. As such, the EV minivan (which has already been criticized for its high price tag) is highly susceptible to additional, tariff-driven price hikes.

If you want one, you’ll want to to move fast.

Disclaimer: the deals described above were sourced from CarsDirect, CarEdge, USA Today, and (where mentioned) the OEM websites – and were current as of 30MAR2025. These deals may not be available in every market, with every discount, or for every buyer (the standard “with approved credit” fine print should be considered implied). Check with your local dealer(s) for more information.