EV Battery Recycling

Date: Jan 17, 2024

Have you noticed more and more electric vehicles on the roads of Moorestown and Cherry Hill? We’re not surprised, as drivers are discovering all of the benefits of EV ownership. If you drive an EV currently or are thinking about purchasing one in the future, you may be wondering what happens to old electric car batteries. Is electric car battery recycling available? We take a closer look at EV battery disposal and recycling in the guide below. 

What Happens to Old Electric Car Batteries? 

What happens to old electric car batteries at the end of their life cycle? Components can be recycled, so auto recyclers ship the batteries off to specialized firms that take the battery pack apart and separate the components. The cells and circuits are crushed to separate and purify the metals.

Dealerships like Holman Ford Maple Shade responsibly dispose of hybrid batteries, too. Most automakers have guidelines and collection programs for the recycling of hybrid batteries. 

EV Battery Disposal and Recycling 

The recycling process for EV batteries shares many similarities with the process of recycling hybrid batteries. Dive into the details of electric car battery recycling below. 

• EV battery packs are shipped to a facility that specializes in recycling and disassembling the batteries. 
• In most cases, 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. This leads to a pure supply of materials like lithium, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, and nickel. 

The Future of EV Battery Recycling

Now that you know more about EV battery disposal, you may be wondering if there is a possibility for EV batteries to be repurposed. While it is possible, the cost to do so is currently quite high, so it is not a common practice. The demand for EV batteries will likely rise steadily in the coming years, so there are plenty of opportunities to develop new technology. 

While liquid hydrocarbons can no longer provide energy after being used up, that is not true for many components of an EV battery, such as cobalt. Cobalt, for example, can be reused over and over. Depleted batteries offer a source of valuable resources, minimizing the impact of mining these resources. 

Experience the EV Benefits Today

Now that you know what happens to old electric car batteries during electric car battery recycling, are you interested in experiencing an electric vehicle for yourself? We can get you set up with a test drive at Holman Ford Maple Shade. We’re just a short drive from Pensaukken. Reach out to us today if you have any questions.