Whenever we hear or read about electric cars, we often see only the benefits and positive traits they offer. While there’s no denying that electric vehicles of all kinds are the future of the automotive industry, we must recognise the problems they create. For instance, EVs rely on batteries to function. But what happens to dead EV batteries that are no longer in use?

Electric vehicle batteries (or EVBs) are rechargeable batteries used to power electric vehicles. EVBs typically last anywhere from 5-10 years, though newer and better batteries are expected to have longer lifespans. Once they’re dead, EV batteries can be recycled to recover the valuable raw materials that were used in them. Those materials can then be used in the production of brand new EV batteries.

In this article, we will look at what that EV battery recycling process might look like. To help you understand that better, we’ll begin by looking at what EV batteries are all about and how long they last under normal conditions.

Let’s get started.

About EV Batteries

Most people would understand how regular car batteries work in combustion engine vehicles. Besides powering the electrical system, the primary function of those batteries is to help deliver the spark that starts the engine.

EV batteries are very different. Firstly, there’s no combustion engine in an electric vehicle, to begin with. Instead, there are motors that are continually powered by those EV batteries. So, while some people might confuse the two, regular car batteries and EV batteries are not the same.

Electric vehicle batteries are typically lithium-ion batteries, much like the one you have in your smartphone. However, in an electric car, these batteries are much larger, and they’re bunched together in large quantities. So, EV batteries aren’t actually singular batteries. They’re a battery pack housing thousands of lithium-ion cells.

After many cycles of recharging and discharging, EV batteries will eventually lose their usefulness. That’s the same as any other battery on the planet, including the ones in combustion-engine vehicles and the ones in your phone.

At that point, EV car owners will have to purchase a replacement. But what happens to the dead battery they’re replacing?

Well, keep reading!

How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last?

Firstly, let’s talk about the shelf life of those EV batteries. Some batteries last longer than others, even though they are of the exact same type and come from the same manufacturer. So, while there are slight differences, electric car batteries generally last anywhere from 5-10 years.

The easiest way to estimate how long your EV battery will last is to consider the manufacturer’s warranty. If the manufacturer provides eight years of warranty coverage for the battery, then it’s safe to assume that the lifespan is eight years. It could last longer, of course, but once you pass that 8-year mark, it’s time to start considering a replacement.

What Happens To Dead EV Batteries?

Dead EV batteries can no longer hold a charge the same way as before. So, they’re no longer helpful to anyone, no matter how long or hard you try to recharge them. Once they’re replaced, however, you can’t just throw them in the ocean or bury them in a landfill. That would be devastating for the environment, which is why these batteries must be recycled.

Thankfully, there are strong incentives for recycling EV batteries. Remember: EV batteries are made of valuable raw materials which can be extracted and reused in the manufacturing process.

As EVs increasingly become the norm, the problem of dead EV batteries will undoubtedly grow along with them. So, there is a clear need for more EV battery recycling facilities all over the world.

Industry players are already taking the lead. Volkswagen, for instance, has an EV battery recycling plant operating in Germany. The facility is quite impressive and gives us all a clear look into what the recycling process will look like.

Industry Example: Volkswagen Group Components In Salzgitter In Germany

In Germany, Volkswagen Group Components has opened up an EV recycling plant in the area of Salzgitter. To see how the plant operates with your own eyes, you should check out this video by YOUCAR.

As you’ll see from the video, the recycling process for dead EV batteries involves several steps. Here’s what they look like:

#1 Initial Check and Deep Discharging

When a dead electric car battery arrives at the plant, it goes through an initial inspection by the staff. As part of that process, the battery is then put through a deep discharging process to remove any charge (or electricity) left inside of it.

#2 Disassembly

Next, the battery is disassembled. Primarily, this set of the process involves removing the battery’s housing and attachments. Lastly, the individual battery modules are separated from the battery pack.

#3 Shredding

The battery modules are thrown into an industrial shredder that reduces everything into small flakes. Doing that will make it much easier to separate the raw materials in the following steps.

#4 Drying

Batteries, like the ones in EVs, tend to contain a certain amount of liquid electrolytes. That liquid must be pumped out and dried.

#5 Sieving

Once all the materials are dried, they run through a sieving machine to separate and sort them according to their type. The types of materials that are separated include lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, and graphite.

#6 Magnetic Separation 

Using a large magnet, any magnetic materials from the shredded pieces are then removed from the mix.

#7 Additional Separation

Lastly, non-magnetic and plastic materials are separated last.

#8 Materials Reused in Manufacturing

Now that all the raw materials have been successfully separated, they are then reused to manufacture brand new electric vehicle batteries.

Final Thoughts

As you might imagine, dead EV batteries are not such a big problem yet. Still, the problem will continue to grow as more and more people switch to electric vehicles. It’s safe to assume that the time will come when more leading auto manufacturers will set up EV battery recycling plants just like Volkswagen has.

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