National Recycling Day: How You Can Make the Most of EV Batteries

Have you ever wondered how end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries and cells could be repurposed? Now’s your chance to find out! According to the Institute for Energy Research, EV batteries still have 70% of their capacity after being used in EVs, allowing them to be repurposed for other services and products.

To learn more, we spoke to CALSTART’s Battery Manufacturing Program Manager, Phoebe Bisnoff, who manages the PowerForward program, about how EV battery recycling works. You can read the conversation below.

Q: What is the difference between recycling and repurposing a battery?

Recycling is systematically breaking down the battery through mechanical, hydrometallurgical, and/or pyrometallurgical processes to recover basic components.

Repurposing is finding a secondary use case for the battery or its modules, typically for less demanding applications like stationary storage or other battery energy storage systems.

Q: How can recycling EV batteries work to reduce manufacturing costs?

Recycling EV batteries could reduce the cost of materials for new batteries by providing a cheaper and less energy-intensive supply stream than virgin materials. By using recycled materials from used EV batteries, manufacturers can minimize the cost associated with harvesting raw materials.

Q: Can recycling EV batteries help make EV purchasing more affordable for individuals? If so, will this help spur sales despite the phasing out of EV tax credits?

Creating a recycling ecosystem that ensures that end-of-life batteries have value will increase the overall value of a used vehicle — a benefit to its purchaser. Repurposing used EV batteries into second-life applications, such as stationary energy storage for homes or grid support, might lead dealers/manufacturers to lower vehicle costs if they can retain ownership of the battery for future reuse. In general, repurposing could create a lower net cost over the entire lifespan of the vehicle by creating a revenue stream at the end of the battery’s life.

Q: How do you foresee EV battery recycling progressing over the next several years under the current federal administration?

A significant challenge is the lack of a steady stream of end-of-life EV batteries, as most aren’t expected to go offline in the next several years. However, we will likely see major recycling industry players start to build facilities and infrastructure to prepare for that eventual wave. Most domestic battery recyclers use a primarily hydrometallurgical recycling method, but with technological advancement in recycling methods accelerating, direct recycling is becoming increasingly popular, which would be well-suited for efficiently recovering battery materials to be used in new cells. Ideally, innovation in direct recycling methods could make recycling LFP cells economically feasible, which is not currently the case. It is unlikely that the federal government will put any regulations on recycling content in the near term, and the EU’s battery recycling content regulations have been postponed until 2027.

Q: What can individuals do if they have EV batteries that have reached end of life?

They should contact their dealership or a qualified service center for that brand. It is not advised for an individual consumer to recycle a vehicle battery or attempt to remove it from the vehicle.

If the battery is outside of the vehicle for some reason, the owner should contact their local fire department immediately. Batteries are considered hazardous materials and must be transported with specific guidelines.

PowerForward is managed by CALSTART with support from New Energy Nexus and funded by the California Energy Commission. To learn more about eligible projects, entities, and funding availability, visit the website below.

[PowerForward – Home]

About the Author:

Phoebe Bisnoff is CALSTART’s Light-Duty Program Manager of Battery Manufacturing. Currently, they are managing a $64 million zero-emission vehicle battery manufacturing infrastructure grant in collaboration with the California Energy Commission and supporting California policy initiatives related to battery recycling. Prior to CALSTART, Bisnoff worked as a battery engineer at a variety of battery and EV companies across California. They hold a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a certificate in Materials Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.