Cofounder, Tesla
Search every verified Jb Straubel interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. JB Straubel, co-founder of Tesla and founder and CEO of Redwood Materials, has been focused on building a circular supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. In 2025, he announced a new initiative called Redwood Energy, which repurposes used EV battery packs into a microgrid to power an AI training data center, describing it as an array of hundreds of old automotive battery packs that can provide 3 to 5 years of additional usable life. Straubel stated that Redwood Materials currently recycles approximately 70 to 75% of all lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. and is the second largest supplier of nickel and lithium from recycled materials in the country, doing so profitably without federal subsidies. He has also discussed the importance of scaling manufacturing, noting that the company processes around 20 to 25 gigawatt-hours of material per year and that the volume of incoming material is doubling annually. Straubel has commented on policy and industry trends, expressing cautious optimism about the future of the U.S. battery industry. He said that the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act "missed the mark a little bit" by de-incentivizing midstream investment, but suggested there is a pathway for the new administration to reconcile the law to make it more effective. He described electrification as a "multi-decade transition" and stated that EVs have "clearly crossed a tipping point," though he acknowledged turbulence around incentives. Straubel also said he remains "super confident" in Tesla's talent pool and described the future as "pretty exciting for energy, for transportation, for autonomy."
“Technology is intimately linked to manufacturing. The two can't really exist without each other. Manufacturing, especially of new products with new methods and integrating new technology, is really innovative and often has a higher impact on the end product cost or availability than even the design of the product itsel...”
“We had to vertically integrate deeply because the supply chain for lithium-ion batteries and power electronics didn't exist yet. Almost everything we designed required building new supply chains, like scaling silicon carbide for power electronics, which was industrial scale innovation.”
“Scaling battery manufacturing for the Model 3 and Model Y was a huge challenge because producing 300,000 cars a year required the entire world's supply of lithium-ion batteries at that time. We had to create a coalition and build a new gigafactory in Nevada to double the world's supply of lithium-ion batteries.”
“We engineered the factory while building it, launching designs at 80% completion to go faster, accepting that we might have to scrap some work but that it was worth it to speed up manufacturing.”
“Redwood's mission is to invent and implement a circular economy for lithium-ion batteries, focusing on recycling, reuse, refining, and remanufacturing to close the loop on critical materials like nickel, lithium, and cobalt.”
“A battery's materials stay inside it and are nearly infinitely reusable. This creates a huge opportunity for recycling and reprocessing industries that will be bigger than all lithium and nickel mining combined.”
“Today, Redwood recycles almost 70 to 75% of all lithium-ion batteries in the US and is the second largest nickel and lithium supplier in the country from recycled materials, displacing the need for new mining.”
“Handling logistics for end-of-life batteries is a huge effort because many batteries are damaged or hazardous. We have to safely decommission, package, transport, and store them, which requires new solutions and processes.”
“The best people are attracted not by pay or perks but by a mission that matters. Even in difficult locations with few amenities, having a clear, impactful mission energizes and retains top talent.”
“Battery recycling will likely be regionalized due to the hazards and logistics of transporting batteries. This regionalization is a hidden benefit, enabling localized supply chains and manufacturing ecosystems, as seen in the US and China.”
“This behind us here is an array of hundreds of old automotive battery packs that we've architected and connected all together to create its own microgrid and power this AI training data center.”
“Even at 50% capacity, we can make very productive use of that in this type of application.”
“We're seeing doubling every year in the amount of material coming into us.”
“We were able to do this in about four months of construction. This is operating outside of the grid. So we didn't put any extra stress on the grid. And that's key for the AI. Growth today is to be able to get access to more power quickly. This is a way to do that.”
“EVs have clearly crossed a tipping point. There's a lot of turbulence and confusion about which incentives will last and how they will unfold. But EVs are still setting records every quarter in terms of their growth.”
JB Straubel, co-founder of Tesla and the battery recycling firm Redwood Materials, spoke at our May symposium with MIT MechE ...
CNBC's Phil LeBeau talks with JB Straubel, Redwood Materials CEO and Tesla co-founder, to discuss the Redwood's new ...
Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Redwood Materials, the groundbreaking battery recycling and materials company founded by Tesla co-founder JB Straubel. In this in-depth interview and factory walkthrough, JB shares his vision for building a closed-loop battery supply chain in the U.S. and how Redwood is scaling sustainable solutions for electric vehicles and energy storage. We dive deep into Redwood’s cutting-edge operations, including their Second Life Energy Storage Program, which repurposes used EV batteries into grid-scale energy storage systems—giving batteries a second…
In this exclusive fireside chat at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s flagship Benchmark Week conference in Los Angeles, Tesla Co-Founder and Redwood Materials Founder, JB Straubel, discusses how Trump could improve Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to attract more investment to the US. Straubel spoke to Benchmark's CEO Simon Moores, and COO Andrew Miller. Straubel received the Benchmark Lifetime Achievement Award 2024 at the conference. Benchmark Week returns to Los Angeles in 2025, bringing global industry leaders, financiers, and government officials together to chart a course for the tec…
At the opening fireside discussion for Benchmark week 2024, JB Straubel, founder of Redwood Materials, discusses the bipartisan opportunities in energy security, electrification, and building a new material supply chain. From building the Tesla Gigafactory to creating a “Gigafactory in reverse,” JB highlights the transformative potential of battery recycling, U.S. supply chain innovation, and the shift from fossil fuels to a circular electric ecosystem. The discussion dives into Redwood’s strategic role, partnerships, and the recent challenges and opportunities of scaling a new electrificatio…
Batteries are a critical part of the transition away from fossil fuels. From electric vehicles to grid scale storage for wind and solar, ...
From electric vehicles to grid scale storage for wind and solar, demand for batteries is expected to grow 500% by 2030. In order to meet that demand, we’re going to need a lot more batteries. How do we build a battery supply chain that meets demand and reduces harm? Full livesteam of this event: https://www.youtube.com/live/DZzwQZI1AJ4 Podcast episode: • Video
"Tesla co-founder and former CTO JB Straubel, who went on to launch buzzy climate tech startup Redwood Materials, will join TechCrunch on the main stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. Watch him talk about returning to Tesla as a board member, whether automakers can reach their EV goals, what is really required to reduce emissions and the ups and downs of building a startup. #TCDisrupt2023 #Technology #Startups Subscribe for more on YouTube: https://tcrn.ch/youtube Follow TechCrunch on Instagram: http://tcrn.ch/instagram TikTok: https://tcrn.ch/tiktok X: tcrn.ch/x Facebook: https://tcrn.ch/fa…
Demand for lithium ion batteries is expected to grow 500% by 2030, and the race for raw materials is on. Lithium mines around the world are opening or expanding, while children as young as six in the Congo carry sacks of cobalt-laced rocks on their backs for less than $2 a day. Recycling presents promising opportunities, yet before millions of batteries can be recycled, they have to be made in the first place. At the same time, advances in battery chemistry continue to be made, and it’s not hard to imagine a near future when batteries don’t require lithium or cobalt at all. What’s the state of…
Tesla stock news - this is a big and important development for Tesla, as a long term Tesla stock investor I am certainly happy to ...
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Jb Straubel.
The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →