Why Wolfsburg matters
Volkswagen Group HQ and ID. series programme. Active names in and around the city include Volkswagen Group.
OEM head offices and engineering centres produce prototype and validation packs, recall and warranty returns routed through central teams, and programme fleet retirements. Volumes are lumpy but the packs are often high-value and come with full engineering data.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serving site | Stuttgart — Baden-Wurttemberg Grading Works (Cell Grading & Diagnostics) |
| Pickup SLA | 72 hours |
| Coverage radius | 198 km |
| Collection cadence | Called off against a framework agreement |
| Regulatory framework | EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and national implementing law |
How collection works here
We work under a framework take-back agreement with the OEM's central sustainability or aftersales team, covering pricing methodology, EPR certificate transfer and confidential handling of prototype hardware, including destruction certificates where required.
Loads move in Class 9 compliant transport with pre-filled dangerous goods paperwork to Stuttgart, Germany, where they are weighed, logged and graded.
- OEM sustainability and aftersales teams
- Engineering and validation centres
- Programme and demo fleets
- Recall coordination teams
What the rules require in Germany
The EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 applies directly, replacing the old Batteries Directive with extended producer responsibility, collection and material recovery targets, recycled-content rules and, from February 2027, a digital battery passport for EV and larger industrial batteries. Germany implements the regulation through national battery law, with producer registration handled by stiftung ear and treatment sites permitted by the federal states.
Road transport follows ADR, and shipments out of Germany fall under the EU Waste Shipment Regulation.
- Register with stiftung ear before placing batteries on the German market
- Take back automotive and EV batteries free of charge and pass them to certified treatment facilities
- Keep collection and treatment evidence for authority reporting
- Prepare battery passport data for EV batteries placed on the market from February 2027
Field note
What you get paid and what you file
Settlement is quoted per pack after measured state of health, not by guesswork on age. Modules holding 75% or more of rated capacity settle at second-life rates; the remainder settle against black mass metal content.
Certificates carry achieved recovery percentages and downstream vendor disclosure for reporting under EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and national implementing law.