BATx turned spent EV batteries into 200 solar-storage banks

Colombia's EV sales rose 150% to more than 9,000 vehicles in 2024, but recycling infrastructure could not reliably diagnose, repurpose or transport batteries. Repair shops often refused small motorcycle packs because carriers required roughly 80 kilograms per shipment.

BATx, a Medellin-based recycler founded by Pablo Castellanos, chose to treat used lithium batteries as inputs for new products. It diagnoses packs and extends their useful life; when that is not possible, it repurposes them into photovoltaic storage or light-mobility batteries and disassembles the remaining components for alternative uses.

In 2024, Castellanos said BATx received about 20 batteries from electric cars and repurposed them into about 200 solar-storage banks and light-mobility batteries. He said the company could recover 80%–90% of electric waste, giving a small recycler a product path despite Colombia's collection and transport bottlenecks.

BATx said it recovered 80%–90% of electric waste and turned about 20 car batteries into roughly 200 solar-storage banks and light-mobility batteries.

EV sales were expanding faster than Colombia's battery-recycling capacity.

The country lacked enough infrastructure to diagnose and repurpose batteries.

Hazardous-battery transport and minimum shipment weights stranded small packs.

Demand for renewable-energy storage made a second use commercially useful.

When collection and transport cannot support a new waste stream, extend the asset's life and sell a second use; repurposing can create value before full recycling infrastructure exists.

Colombia's collection rate for industrial and EV batteries was only 0.5% in 2024, although an IDB report expected it to reach 23% by 2033. A 2022 e-waste rule made producers responsible for the battery life cycle, but transport permits, safe handling and collection capacity remained open problems.