The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $30 million in funding to develop innovative solutions that support the creation of a circular electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. (DE-FOA-0003303) Funded by DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the Catalyzing Innovative Research for Circular Use of Long-lived Advanced Rechargeables (CIRCULAR) program will help advance next-generation technologies critical to maximizing lifetime EV performance and reducing production and operating costs.

With CIRCULAR, ARPA-E is supporting innovative solutions that will help create a strong circular EV supply chain, which is critical to reducing emissions and establishing new US-based manufacturing and supply chain loops.

—ARPA-E Director Evelyn N. Wang

The overarching goal of ARPA-E’s CIRCULAR program is to support the whole-of-government approach to a circular economy and enhance the domestic EV battery supply chain through the development of innovative solutions through four technology categories:

• Category A seeks innovations in battery cell materials, designs, regeneration methods, and corresponding manufacturing techniques to prolong battery service life.

• Category B focuses on battery pack designs, materials, and reversible manufacturing methods as well as fast and safe disassembly techniques to recover manufacturing value of cells and pack components.

• Category C prioritizes innovations in cell-level sensing, data analytics, and battery intelligence systems to ensure safety, extend the service life, and manage end-of-life of batteries.

• Category D aims to develop technoeconomic, lifecycle, and circularity analysis tools capable of quantifying the impact of the program’s advancements to both justify the adoption of these technologies and inform new business models and opportunities.