Can my EV battery be recycled?

From my post last week Will my EV battery last?, we've established that EV batteries can last for twenty years. This is far longer than the average age of a car at scrappage in 2015, which is 13.9 years, and according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) , there are likely to be increasing numbers of EV batteries that need to be recycled.

So, can an EV battery be recycled? Simple answer is yes, it can, with significant investment being made to recycle the increasing number of batteries in today’s EVs.

Recycling EV batteries is a critical part of the creation of a circular battery economy

There is a danger that many of the environmental gains from the transition to EVs could be lost if the UK fails to manage the increasing volumes of electric vehicle (EV) lithium-ion batteries at the end of their useful life in a car. Recycling is not the only option either. Sometimes, EV batteries can be reused or repurposed before material recovery or disposal.

Reuse and repurposing are often preferred to retain the inherent processing value, but the UK government and businesses both recognise the importance of expanding a domestic lithium-ion battery recycling industry in the UK (and the UK is far from alone in their thinking).

Recycling a lithium EV battery will help the UK reduce its dependency on importing critical materials such as lithium, graphite, and cobalt. It would lower carbon emissions, reduce environmental costs, and diminish the need to mine virgin raw materials worldwide. It would also mitigate the risks associated with global trade disruptions seen during the pandemic and energy crisis.

Developing and implementing advanced lithium-ion battery recycling technologies and processes will also ensure the consistent and efficient treatment and management of used materials, leading to increased efficiency, reduced costs and the development of a resilient and sustainable supply chain. Globally, recycling could supply 39% to 57% of the lithium, cobalt and nickel demand for batteries by 2040.

In common with much of the EV sector, the recycling of EV batteries is at a high growth stage in technology, process and scale, but the commitment to scale up rapidly is undoubted.