What's going to happen to used electric car batteries?

Analysis: The good news is that they're highly recyclable, but the process can be hazardous due to potential fires and other dangers

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The Irish Government have pledged to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve a climate neutral economy by 2050. The transport sector has been targeted as a key area where emissions can be drastically reduced. A fundamental plan within the Government's strategy is the electrification of 30% of the private car fleet by 2030, thereafter only permitting the sales of electric vehicle vehicles in the ensuing years.

The lithium-ion battery will underpin this strategy as they are extensively used as an energy source for electric cars, but these batteries have a limited lifespan. They are subject to a chemical and physical process known collectively as battery degradation, which limits the batteries capacity to hold a charge with time.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Today With Claire Byrne, Dr Shane Bergin from UCD on the next generation of batteries

Battery degradation is a complex issue affected by multiple factors such as chemical composition, calendar ageing, usage and the number of charge-discharge cycles. The degradation process is not obvious as it occurs within the battery cell and its most noticeable effects are only realised when the usable capacity of the battery diminishes. At this point, it’s no longer able to propel a vehicle efficiently. Research suggests that these batteries reach end-of-life when their state-of-health drops below 80%, which equates to an estimated lifespan of eight to 13 years.

This fact combined with the exponential growth in electric car sales will result in a vast amount of spent EV batteries requiring future waste management. Environmental concerns, and the significant personal health and safety risks associated with high-voltage electric batteries raises important questions regarding how the automotive sector can safely process this additional hazardous waste stream.

So, what will happen to all these spent batteries? The good news is that end-of-life electric vehicle batteries present the possibility of creating a truly circular value-chain as they are highly recyclable. A key emergence from the European Green Deal was a new battery regulatory framework. This stipulates mandatory requirements for sustainability, safety, and end of life management, while assigning additional responsibility to battery manufacturers under extended producer responsibility legislation.

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Electric car battery recycling processes can be broadly classified into the four main areas; pre-processing (disassembly and categorisation), pyrometallurgical (smelting), hydrometallurgical (leaching) and direct recycling (physical processes). Pyrometallurgical recycling is the most straight forward process which has been commercialised today. But it is not selective and the recovery of specific metals is extremely difficult, while lithium and other cathode elements are generally lost in the process.

Hydrometallurgical recycling is an exceptionally selective process which can recover large amounts of the batteries elements with high purity rates. Companies such as Duesenfeld, Northvolt and Lithion maintain they can recover up to 95% of a battery’s components including its black mass (lithium, manganese, cobalt and nickel) using this method. Direct recycling promises to be the most sustainable approach because recovered materials can be used directly in new battery production, but this process has yet to be commercialised.

Any process that does not alter the battery’s cell structure is considered pre-processing. This key step may include the deactivation and powering down of the vehicle’s high voltage electrical system before battery pack removal. Discharging the battery after removal, disassembly of battery management system and separation of packs structural components to facilitate recycling. From Ireland’s perspective, the pre-processing phase will be carried out here, before the battery is transported to Europe to continue its recycling journey.

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While lithium-ion batteries are generally considered safe, hazards exist as with any component containing an electrical power source. An electric car fire generally stems from a process known as thermal runaway, which under certain conditions can cause rupturing of the battery pack and the release of toxic gases. A report by EPA in the United States highlighted the growing trend of consumer product battery fires in recycling facilities and noted that 245 fires occurred between 2013 and 2020, which were caused by, or likely caused by lithium-ion batteries.

Electric vehicle battery packs contain a typical voltage of around 400-volts DC. However, manufacturers may use significantly higher ranges; for example, the Porsche Taycan uses an 800-volt battery. This poses obvious dangers such as electric shock, electrical burns, arc flash (electric explosion) and fatal electrocution.

Manufacturers design their cars and allied high voltage technologies to operate safely. However extreme care is required when working on electric vehicles, as the high voltage risk is ever-present in the battery itself, even if the vehicle is powered down and the battery is disconnected.

From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Brian Cooke from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry on the high demand and short supply of electric vehicles

Although electric vehicles are not new to the Irish market, they are not yet widespread and few have reached end-of-life status. Therefore, it may be assumed that a skills gap surrounding the technology and hazards posed by these batteries exists.

Currently, there is no international standard qualification for personnel who work on EVs in aftersales. Irish stakeholders could lead the way and develop a certified industry standard, to ensure all those working with electric vehicles and their batteries are expert and fully aware of the associated personal and environmental risks. Such a scheme for the automotive sector would ensure only competent technicians and operatives would be eligible to work on electric vehicles, which will lessen the possibility of serious accidents occurring, while also highlighting the dangers of electric vehicle batteries to the general public

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

What's going to happen to used electric car batteries?

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Matt McGuinness