EVs, batteries and the multi-million-tonne scrap heap | E&ampT Magazine
As sales of electric vehicles start to soar, the thorny issue of what to do with end-of-life lithium-ion batteries isn't going away. We look at the problem and explore the solutions.
To say that the legacy of today's electric vehicles is set to be a mountain of lithium-ion battery waste would be kind. In 2017, when worldwide sales of electric vehicles exceeded one million cars per year for the first time, calculations from UK-based University of Birmingham researchers revealed stark figures. These vehicles alone are destined to leave some 250,000 tonnes of unprocessed battery waste when they eventually reach the scrap heap in 2027. This is just the beginning.
