PeakAmp’s recycling process focuses on extracting “black mass” from lithium-ion batteries — a mixture containing critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese. Our company’s technology separates black mass as well as copper and aluminium from battery cells without the use of chemicals at the initial stage. This is one of the key differentiators of our process, says Vijay Gond, Co-Founder & CEO, PeakAmp in an interview with EVolution Auto India.
Q: With EV adoption accelerating in India, how does PeakAmp plan to address the growing challenge of end-of-life battery management?
Vijay Gond: As EV adoption accelerates in India, the volume of batteries reaching end-of-life will increase significantly, making structured battery lifecycle management critical. At PeakAmp, we believe recycling is not simply about putting a battery pack into a machine and extracting materials. Even after a battery’s range drops from 500 km to around 150–200 km, it still retains usable energy and potential value.
Instead of directly sending every battery for recycling, we focus on evaluating and segregating battery packs into good and bad cells. The good cells are repurposed for second-life applications, while the non-useable cells are responsibly recycled for material recovery. This approach helps maximise battery utilisation, reduce waste, and create a more sustainable and economically viable circular ecosystem for EV batteries.
Q: What differentiates PeakAmp’s approach to battery circularity and recycling from other players in the market?
Vijay Gond: PeakAmp’s recycling process focuses on extracting “black mass” from lithium-ion batteries — a mixture containing critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese. Our company’s technology separates black mass as well as copper and aluminium from battery cells without the use of chemicals at the initial stage. This is one of the key differentiators of our process. We separate the materials mechanically in the first stage without chemical intervention, and currently achieve purity levels of over 99%.
Q: How important are partnerships with EV ecosystem players like Chargeup and Stefen Electric in building a scalable battery recycling infrastructure?
Vijay Gond: Partnerships are essential because battery circularity only works when the full chain is connected. Players like Chargeup help us stay close to battery deployment and collection points, while partners like Stefen Electric help us build a compliant reverse-logistics and recycling pathway for batteries that reach end of life. At PeakAmp, we see these partnerships as what makes the system scalable, traceable, and commercially viable, not just technically possible.
They also help us create trust across the ecosystem. When OEMs, mobility operators, chargers, and recyclers work in sync, batteries can be tracked better, collected faster, and routed to the right path, whether that is second life or recycling, under the same compliance framework.
Q: What role do second-life battery applications play in PeakAmp’s larger circular economy strategy?
Vijay Gond: Second-life applications are a key part of our circularity strategy because not every retired battery is truly at the end of its useful life. Even after an EV battery’s range drops, many cells still retain usable energy, so we first evaluate and segregate them before deciding whether they should be repurposed or recycled. This helps us extract more value from each battery and reduce unnecessary waste.
For PeakAmp, second life is the bridge between use and recycling. It allows us to extend the life of healthy cells for energy storage and other low-load applications, while sending only genuinely non-usable cells into material recovery. That improves economics, reduces pressure on critical mineral imports, and makes the overall battery ecosystem more sustainable.
Q: As regulations around battery waste evolve, what are some of the biggest opportunities and challenges you foresee for the industry in India?
Vijay Gond: One of the biggest opportunities lies in the sheer scale of India’s EV transition. As battery volumes continue to rise, there will be increasing demand for efficient collection systems, second-life applications, material recovery, and recycling infrastructure. This shift also creates significant opportunities for innovation in battery diagnostics, lifecycle tracking, and recovery technologies, while gradually reducing India’s dependence on imported critical minerals.
At the same time, one of the industry’s biggest challenges will be building a reliable and scalable collection and supply chain network for end-of-life batteries. Developing such an ecosystem requires substantial time, operational expertise, and capital investment. Companies that are able to establish strong collection channels, ensure compliance, and build scalable infrastructure will be better positioned to create long-term value in the evolving battery circularity ecosystem.