He and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk share an obsession with electric vehicles but in other aspects are mirror opposites-Mr. “This is a chance to change that whole equation and to realize material cost savings in a way that short circuits that industry.' Straubel said in his first in-depth interview about his new venture since it was formed in 2017 while still at Tesla. “Forever the entire market has been dictated by the commodity price of these metals,' Mr. The 44-year-old is betting that he can perfect a fast and efficient way of collecting and repurposing those materials to disrupt the centuries-old mining industry. Straubel’s company, Redwood Materials, is taking a different tack, quietly aiming to build the biggest car battery-recycling operation in the U.S. Extracting those materials from nature, through mining and other processes, is costly and difficult, and production is lagging far behind expected demand.
