Geography, not recycling, holds key to EV battery waste

Researchers in China modeled the lifecycle of electric vehicle batteries and found that strategically relocating used batteries, rather than solely relying on recycling, could dramatically reduce carbon emissions and save trillions of Chinese Yuan over the next 30 years.

The study focused on China, which currently leads the world in both EV sales and the resulting volume of retired batteries.

These batteries typically lose enough capacity to be removed from vehicles when they can only hold 80% of their original charge, and current recycling methods only recover a limited number of materials. The research revealed a significant geographic problem. Retired batteries tend to accumulate in eastern Chinese provinces with high EV ownership, while the demand for battery storage solutions is strongest in the western regions, where renewable energy sources like solar and wind are expanding.

Demand for facilities capable of advanced battery recycling is centered in manufacturing hubs. Without a coordinated system to move batteries to where they can be best reused or recycled, China risks missing out on substantial economic and environmental benefits. Prioritizing battery reuse for stationary storage or utilizing advanced recycling methods, instead of continuing to rely on conventional recycling, could generate three to five times greater cost savings and one to three times greater emissions reductions.

The analysis showed that building the necessary transportation networks to facilitate this system would require a minimal investment, representing only a small fraction of the overall savings. The most effective approach involves balancing battery reuse and advanced recycling, potentially saving 6.1 billion tons of carbon and 3.9 trillion Chinese Yuan by 2050. This model could be applied to other regions like Europe and the United States, which also face similar geographic challenges.