Italian truck and bus maker Iveco Group has partnered with German chemicals group BASF for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries of its electric vehicles (BEVs), the two companies said on Tuesday. The agreement, for which no financial details were provided, is part of Iveco's circular economy strategy, aiming to increase batteries' lifetime and reduce their overall environmental impact, the two companies said in a statement. BASF, one the main suppliers of chemicals for automotive batteries, has recently inaugurated a hub for battery material production and battery recycling in Schwarzheide, Germany.