Energy storage vehicle battery recycling

Can electric-vehicle lithium-ion batteries be recycled and re-used?

Here we outline and evaluate the current range of approaches to electric-vehicle lithium-ion battery recycling and re-use, and highlight areas for future progress. Processes for dismantling and recycling lithium-ion battery packs from scrap electric vehicles are outlined.

Why should we recycle used batteries?

Recycling used batteries reduces demand for new materials and allows our domestic industry to produce at lower costs, supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of creating a more sustainable battery supply chain and having EVs make up half of all vehicles sales in America by 2030.

Can electric car batteries be recycled?

Neither method is perfect: pyrometallurgical recycling uses a lot of energy, while hydrometallurgical recycling requires components to be broken down even further beforehand. It’s possible that many electric car batteries will be reused, not recycled.

Are spent batteries a viable source of materials for electric vehicles?

Nevertheless, spent batteries may also present an opportunity as manufacturers require access to strategic elements and critical materials for key components in electric-vehicle manufacture: recycled lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles could provide a valuable secondary source of materials.

Could recycling lithium-ion batteries save the battery industry?

Overall, the process recovers 91% of the mass of all materials in the battery, the firm says. Recycling lithium-ion batteries could reduce the amount of mined cobalt, lithium, manganese, and nickel needed to make batteries. But the battery industry is growing so fast that much of the benefit wouldn't materialize until 2040 or later.

Is recycling a sustainable option for EOL batteries?

Source: International Energy Agency, “Battery Demand by Region, 2016–2022,” last modified April 11, 2023. Recycling isn’t just a more sustainable option. It offers a vital way to recover precious resources within the EOL batteries, particularly cobalt, nickel, and lithium, which are destined to live again in new batteries.