Why Elon Musk’s Battery Guy Is Betting Big on Recycling

JB Straubel was Elon Musk’s battery guy. Now he’s trying to turn what some see as trash into power for the electric vehicle revolution. Straubel was there at the earliest days of Tesla, and in his 15 years with the electric vehicle company, he played an integral role: he developed the battery pack used in the first Tesla vehicle, was the company’s Chief Technology Officer, and now sits on the board of directors. But his day job is running the battery-recycling startup Redwood Materials, and he envisions a future where recycled batteries power our cars, cell phones and power tools. So could companies like his one day replace the oil giants who fueled the last century? Why does he think humans have room to work harder? And can the Tesla board manage Musk as he takes on a growing role in U.S. politics, including advising the Trump administration? Straubel speaks to WSJ’s Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims in episode three of our interview series Bold Names. Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at [e-mail] Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Further Reading In the Desert With an EV Entrepreneur Who Insists Trump Will Be Good for Business  The Boom in Battery Metals for EVs Is Turning to Bust  Cost-Cutting Lessons From Musk World for DOGE  What Americans Get Wrong About Electric Cars  One of the Brains Behind Tesla May Have a New Way to Make Electric Cars Cheaper   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices