MONTRÉAL, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nova Bus, a Canadian leader in electric bus manufacturing and a member of the Volvo Group, announces a strategic partnership with Lithion Technologies, a leader in the circular economy of battery materials, to enhance the sustainability of its urban transportation solutions. Through this collaboration, end-of-life batteries from Nova Bus buses in use across Canada will be collected, transported, and recycled by Lithion at its Saint-Bruno facility.
The recycling technologies developed by Lithion will enable the recovery of up to 98% of the critical minerals found in bus batteries destined for recycling. By doing so, Nova Bus will reduce the industry’s need for virgin materials, support a circular economy, and repurpose strategic and critical materials. Ultimately, this multi-year collaboration aims to enhance sustainability in the hybrid and electric urban bus industry.
“I am very excited about this partnership because it represents the full potential of companies with complementary expertise dedicating their efforts to improving the environmental footprint of their products. Recycling is a crucial step in the value chain of batteries. That is why, through this collaboration, we are enhancing the sustainability of our solutions for our customers while strengthening our position as a leader in the electrification of public transportation,” explained Mr. Paul Le Houillier, President of Nova Bus.
“We are proud to offer a local, sustainable service to a renowned company like Nova Bus, a member of the Volvo Group. This agreement confirms the critical role of recycling in the transition towards truly sustainable transportation. The prospect of making public transit even more environmentally responsible is truly exciting. Through strategic partnerships like Nova Bus, we can envision achieving full circularity of battery materials right here in Quebec,” noted Benoit Couture, President and CEO of Lithion.
The Nova Bus batteries recycled by Lithion Technologies will have completed all their life cycles based on various uses, such as energy storage systems or residential electrification, post electrical propulsion. Lithion’s intervention will represent a step towards closing the loop in the circular economy for these batteries, which will no longer be capable of storing electricity.
About Nova Bus
Nova Bus, member of the Volvo Group, is a leading provider of sustainable transportation solutions in North America. Nova Bus accompanies transit authorities and bus fleet operators in their transition to electromobility with its flagship LFSe+ long-range electric bus, combining the proven Nova Bus structure with the latest innovations in electric drive. Nova Bus is committed to helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and positively contributing to a greener economy.
About Lithion Technologies
Lithion has developed a sustainable, robust, and safe solution to produce strategic materials from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and non-conforming products from their production. Lithion’s technologies enable the recovery of up to 95% of battery components, with an environmental impact significantly smaller than that of mining, to loop them back into the battery supply chain. Using Lithion’s sustainable technologies and processes reduces the demand for natural resource extraction, making the energy transition a sustainable solution. Lithion’s objective is the global deployment of its solutions via strategic partnerships. For more information, visit: www.lithiontechnologies.com.
For more information:
Christos Kritsidimas
Head of Legal, Public Affairs and External Communications at Nova Bus
Phone: +1 (438) 350-0454
Email: christos.kritsidimas@volvo.com
