Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling

Date: Feb 6, 2024

Electric vehicles are growing in popularity for their environmental benefits in addition to many other perks. While many drivers around Maple Shade and Marlton have made an EV their own, some are still hesitant to make the switch. One reason is the environmental impact of EV batteries. 

EV batteries are much larger than traditional automotive batteries. What happens to old electric car batteries? The team at Holman Toyota covers EV battery disposal and electric vehicle battery recycling in the guide below. 

What Happens to Old Electric Vehicle Batteries? 

What happens to old electric car batteries? When it comes time for EV battery disposal, many battery components are separated for recycling. Auto recyclers ship the batteries to specialized firms that carefully take EV batteries apart. Once the batteries have been disassembled, the cells and circuits are crushed to sort out and purify the metals.

 What Goes On During Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling? 

What goes on during electric car battery recycling? The EV battery disposal process is typically as follows: 

• EV battery packs are shipped to a facility that specializes in recycling and disassembling the batteries. 
• With most batteries, the steel, copper, or aluminum scrap metal goes into the nationwide metals-recycling stream.
• The battery cells are ground up and the stream is purified, creating a pure supply of materials like lithium, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, and nickel. 

Can EV Batteries be Repurposed? 

Now that you are more familiar with electric car battery recycling, you may have additional questions about repurposing EV batteries. While EV batteries can technically be repurposed, the costs associated with the process are high. It’s expected that as the popularity of electric vehicles rises and the demand for EV batteries increases, there will be more opportunities to develop new technology for repurposing batteries. 

EV batteries are quite different from standard car batteries. With a traditional automotive battery, the liquid hydrocarbons can no longer provide energy once the battery reaches the end of its lifecycle. EV batteries have many components that can be reused again and again, such as cobalt. Down the road, old EV batteries can be a great source of resources for new battery production. 

Find Your EV Match at Holman Toyota

Now that you know what happens to old EV batteries, will you be taking one home with you to Cherry Hill? We can’t blame you for taking advantage of the benefits of EV ownership. Visit us today to explore our inventory and set up a test drive, or contact us if you have additional questions.