Why Crush Cars? - Car Recycling | HowStuffWorks
The largest shredder in the world is used by Sturgis Iron & Metal of Elkhart, Indiana. The machine is so big, it isn't measured in tons, but acres. It uses an 8,000-horsepower electric motor to drive a massive rotor that spins hammers at 175 mph, reducing six pre-crushed cars per minute into fist-sized metal chunks [Source: Buffalo News ].