What happens to old electric car batteries? The automotive industry has a solution for electric car battery recycling thanks to about half a dozen specialty companies that handle EV battery disposal to keep these items out of our landfills and groundwater supply. Like engine oil and tires, we can’t just throw batteries into a trash can like other things in our home.
Discover all of the details regarding electric car battery recycling from the team at Holman Ford Turnersville near Wenonah. Our experts will explain what happens to old electric car batteries in our guide.
The useful life of an electric vehicle battery is when its efficiency drops to 70 to 75% of full capacity, which can happen well after 100,000 miles. At present, the federal government requires all automakers to offer an EV battery warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
When it’s time for EV battery disposal, service centers like ours near Blackwood will swap old batteries out for new ones. We’ll ship the old ones to an electric car battery recycling center. There, the facility will disassemble each EV battery into its component parts. The common metals in the shell can be separated out easily enough. So, the copper, steel, and aluminum can go to metals recycling smelters.
However, the battery cells themselves, made of other metals like lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel, are repurposed into new EV batteries. This will reduce the manufacturing costs and reliance on new materials from mines, reducing pollution.
Some of the metals, like cobalt and manganese, are expensive to mine. And some virgin materials might have supply chain issues based on geopolitical forces from foreign countries. As such, electric car battery recycling can maintain a steady supply chain for new cells.
Another factor to consider is the environmental impact. As production of EVs ramps up in the late 2020s and early 2030s, more and more of these metals are needed to keep up with demand. Will this put more strain on the environment? Sensible EV battery disposal can reduce the carbon footprint of this process.
Even at 70% capacity, many EV batteries can store 20 to 90 kWh of power. Some companies have taken to repurposing whole EV batteries into storage batteries for homes. These firms can put many EV batteries together into packs that can provide power for homes for many hours, such as when the power goes out or when solar or wind power is not available. So, these power packs can have a second life after EV battery disposal for another 10 years, if needed.
Ready for your next fuel-efficient new vehicle? Contact us or call to schedule a test drive at your convenience. Our selection of EVs for sale near Blackwood and Washington Township will help you decide if one of these vehicles fits into your lifestyle!