As the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) gains momentum, the challenge of managing end-of-life EV batteries has become increasingly pressing – particularly as industries strive to adopt circular manufacturing practices to curb energy use and waste.
By safeguarding the environment, reducing dependence on raw materials, and maximising commercial opportunities, manufacturers are well-positioned to benefit from circularity in EV battery production.
The long established process of dismantling, scrapping, and recycling for petrol and diesel vehicles may not be enough, especially as sales of new internal combustion engine cars will end in 2035. This shift means worn-out lithium-ion batteries will soon be commonplace, as many of today’s EVs will reach end-of-life after 100,000 to 200,000 miles or 15-20 years on the road.
But what happens to these batteries once they can no longer power a vehicle? The EU’s Battery Directive stipulates that at least 50% of a battery’s materials must be recycled, increasing to 65% by the end of 2025.
Since lithium-ion batteries are energy-dense and compact due to high cobalt content – a resource – intensive and environmentally-challenging element to mine – recycling cobalt from old EV batteries could significantly reduce raw material demand.
Mercedes-Benz is aiming to be a leader in the area by developing a battery recycling process that could recover up to 96% of a defunct EV battery’s raw materials. Their new battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim, Germany, is set to make this possible, with photovoltaic panels and wind turbines generating renewable energy on-site.
Once fully operational, Mercedes-Benz anticipates producing 5,000 new EV batteries annually from 2,500 tonnes of recycled material through an advanced, integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process.
This method, which replaces blast furnace energy demands with a more eco-friendly alternative, includes several recycling stages.
First, old batteries are shredded, friction washed and separated by air. This is followed by the further separation of elements using electromagnets, after which the materials undergo vacuum drying and filtration. The recovered material is then put through a process of leaching and refiltering, solvent removal, and crystallisation to leave the copper, aluminium, iron and plastics as separate components.