Rivian Recycles Batteries into Power for Its Factory

Redwood partnership uses retired EV packs to deliver on-site energy and boost efficiency at its Illinois factory.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 1:09am

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An extreme close-up photograph showing the intricate, textured surface of a Rivian electric vehicle battery pack, with vibrant colors and dramatic lighting highlighting the complex engineering of this repurposed energy storage component.Rivian's partnership with Redwood Materials aims to give new life to retired electric vehicle batteries, turning them into a valuable on-site energy resource.Normal Today

Rivian is partnering with Redwood Materials, a battery materials producer and recycling company, to build a large-scale battery storage system (BESS) at its manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. The system will use more than 100 used Rivian battery packs to deliver an initial 10 megawatt-hours of energy capacity, with the goal of lowering electricity costs and reducing strain on the grid during periods of peak demand.

Why it matters

This partnership highlights a shift in how EV batteries are viewed, not just as components of cars, but as valuable, flexible energy resources that can be repurposed to support the grid and provide operational and financial benefits for manufacturers like Rivian.

The details

Rather than recycling the batteries immediately after their automotive life, Rivian will send them to Redwood Materials, which will integrate them into a stationary storage system using its proprietary energy management technology. The stored energy can then be tapped into on-site at the plant, allowing Rivian to offset high-cost electricity usage during peak periods.

  • Rivian's Normal, Illinois, facility opened in 2021.

The players

Rivian

An American electric vehicle manufacturer and automotive technology company.

Redwood Materials

A battery materials producer and recycling company that is partnering with Rivian on the battery storage system.

RJ Scaringe

The founder and CEO of Rivian.

JB Straubel

The CEO of Redwood Materials.

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What they’re saying

“EVs represent a massive, distributed and highly competitive energy resource. Our partnership with Redwood enables us to utilize our vehicle's batteries beyond the life of a vehicle and contribute to grid health.”

— RJ Scaringe, Founder and CEO, Rivian

“Electricity demand is accelerating faster than the grid can expand. This is a scalable model for how we add meaningful energy capacity in the near term.”

— JB Straubel, CEO, Redwood Materials

What’s next

Rivian and Redwood Materials plan to scale this battery storage system model to other industrial sites, turning retired EV batteries into a growing source of domestic energy storage.

The takeaway

By repurposing used EV batteries for on-site energy storage, Rivian is demonstrating how automakers can extract additional value from their vehicles' batteries and contribute to grid stability, even after the batteries have reached the end of their useful life in electric cars.