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Are electric car batteries recyclable?
I’m seeing more and more electric cars on the market now, and I don’t know how I would feel about buying one if their batteries will just end up being thrown away or left to waste somewhere. Is anyone recycling them?
Hana Sabah · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Great question! Both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries used in
electric vehicles
(EVs) are recyclable, though not 100% recyclable. The process of extracting the materials is still being refined and improved. Currently, lead-acid batteries are the most recycled of the two types. There are federal mandates about the recycling of lead-acid batteries, and about 99% of the lead from them ends up recycled. However, these are used more as occasional supplements than main power sources in EVs, so electric cars don’t use them very often.
Lithium-ion
batteries are the main kind of battery used in EVs. Their recycling process is still not perfect, as most large recycling facilities can recover the precious metals in the batteries, but often don’t have ways to repurpose other spare materials.There are also issues with smaller, “backyard” recycling facilities taking in batteries and processing them incorrectly. This can lead to exposure to harmful chemicals and even fire or explosions when the batteries aren’t handled correctly.
Electric car batteries are still not fully recyclable, but with the right management and further innovation, it’s likely they’ll get there. Hopefully, more and more materials will be salvageable from recycled batteries as EVs become more popular.
Buying a new EV is expensive. Get some of that money back by saving on car insurance.
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MORE: BMW i Vision Circular is a Recyclable Car
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