Fact Check: Can an electric car’s battery be recycled?

Faced with fake news or partisan speeches, Mobiwisy offers simple answers to complicated questions: battery recycling.

Yes, electric car batteries are recyclable. According to Veolia, one of the world’s leading waste management companies, the process of recycling electric vehicle batteries involves five main steps, including collection, safety procedures, deep discharge of the battery, dismantling each component, and sending them to appropriate treatment facilities. ^[1] Moreover, according to TotalEnergies, the recycling rate of Li-ion batteries in France currently exceeds 65%. Everything that is not recycled is destroyed, burned, and buried, representing 2% of the original tonnage. ^[2]

However, the fate of batteries after their use is an important issue for the automotive industry. The European Commission has therefore proposed requiring manufacturers to incorporate a minimum of recycled materials into batteries starting in 2030, including 12% cobalt, 4% lithium, among others. ^[3] Additionally, the battery recycling industry for electric vehicles is organizing itself, notably with government investments such as the $22.5 million investment by the Legault government in building the first commercially oriented Recyclage Lithion plant, which could process up to… ^[4]

Sources:

1. https://www.veolia.com/fr/pollutions/dechets-dangereux/recyclage-batteries-voitures-electriques
2. https://mobility.totalenergies.com/actus-conseils/electrique-nouvelles-energies/passer-electrique/recyclage-batterie-voitures-electriques
3. https://www.lepoint.fr/automobile/innovations/le-recyclage-de-batterie-de-voiture-electrique-une-industrie-d-avenir-21-10-2021-2448724_652.php
4. https://www.ledevoir.com/environnement/757602/batteries-de-voitures-electriques-la-filiere-du-recyclage-s-organise