LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

EV battery recycling is expected to be a significant part of the value chain by 2016 when large quantities of EV batteries will come through the waste stream for recycling.

recycling is expected to be an important factor for consideration in effective material supply for battery production. EV battery recycling is expected to be a significant part of the value chain by 2016 when large quantities of EV batteries will come through the waste stream for recycling.

Projects are currently underway in Europe, the United States and Japan to develop effective and fea- sible recycling technologies with a complete life cycle analysis of recycling. Early stage partnerships and research programs such as LithoRec and LiBRi with stakeholders across the value chain demonstrate the immediate need to develop comprehensive recycling solutions.

For owners of electric-drive vehicles, recycling is expected to be a painless — and even invisible — process. Automakers and the professional automotive recycling industry and its designated recyclers will handle the recycling. The car owner won’t have to do anything except get the vehicle and its faltering battery to a dealer.

The Market Potential Reducing battery costs through recycling will go a

long way toward making electric-drive vehicles com- petitive with conventional cars when it comes to price. Having a market for used batteries also will help prop up the resale value of electric-drive vehicles – a definite plus for consumers. For lithium-ion batteries, there’s a potential after- automotive use that can postpone destructive recycling for years. Even when an EV or hybrid battery can no longer hold and discharge sufficient electricity to power the car’s motor, the pack can still carry a tremendous amount of juice. Battery manufacturers figure the packs will still be able to operate at about 80 percent of capacity when they have to be retired from automotive use. Auto companies are partnering with battery, recycling and electronics firms to figure out and develop post-automotive markets for lithium-ion battery packs.

Lithium-ion batteries now are somewhere between 70 and 100 percent recyclable, depending on the par-

48 Automotive Recycling | March-April 2015