Electric cars take off, but when will battery recycling follow?
Many companies and investors are eager to recycle batteries, but it could take a decade or more before enough used lithium-ion batteries become available.
Benjamin Reynaga used power tools to force his way into a dilapidated Honda Fit hybrid at an auto disassembly plant on the edge of the Mojave Desert until he hits the most important part of the car: its lithium-ion battery.
The vehicle itself had to be crushed, but the battery would be treated with care. It would be dismantled nearby and then sent to Nevada, where another company, Redwood Materials, would recover some of the precious metals inside.
The factory where M works Reynaga, in Adelanto, Calif., is on the front lines of what auto industry experts, environmentalists and the Biden administration believe is an important part of a global transition to electric vehicles: recycling and reuse of metals such as cobalt, lithium and nickel. If batteries passed their peak, they provided the ingredients for new, electric cars, trucks and vans to become more affordable and environmentally friendly.
"We're just getting ready," said Nick Castillo, who manages the plant for LKQ Corporation. The facility primarily dismantles gas-powered vehicles, but is preparing to dismantle more hybrid and electric vehicles. "We know this will eventually take over - this will be the future."
Sales of electric cars and trucks are taking off, and auto industries and batteries are investing billions of dollars to upgrade and build factories. These cars could help fight climate change, but the batteries pose their own problems. Raw materials can be difficult to extract, are often found in countries with poor human rights, and require processing that leaves behind harmful waste.
Fortunately, these battery components are also highly reusable. And now a race is on to collect and recycle used lithium-ion batteries. Venture capitalists, automakers and energy companies are pumping money into dozens of recycling start-ups in North America and Europe.
Many companies and investors are eager to recycle batteries, but it could take a decade or more before enough used lithium-ion batteries become available.
Benjamin Reynaga used power tools to force his way into a dilapidated Honda Fit hybrid at an auto disassembly plant on the edge of the Mojave Desert until he hits the most important part of the car: its lithium-ion battery.
The vehicle itself had to be crushed, but the battery would be treated with care. It would be dismantled nearby and then sent to Nevada, where another company, Redwood Materials, would recover some of the precious metals inside.
The factory where M works Reynaga, in Adelanto, Calif., is on the front lines of what auto industry experts, environmentalists and the Biden administration believe is an important part of a global transition to electric vehicles: recycling and reuse of metals such as cobalt, lithium and nickel. If batteries passed their peak, they provided the ingredients for new, electric cars, trucks and vans to become more affordable and environmentally friendly.
"We're just getting ready," said Nick Castillo, who manages the plant for LKQ Corporation. The facility primarily dismantles gas-powered vehicles, but is preparing to dismantle more hybrid and electric vehicles. "We know this will eventually take over - this will be the future."
Sales of electric cars and trucks are taking off, and auto industries and batteries are investing billions of dollars to upgrade and build factories. These cars could help fight climate change, but the batteries pose their own problems. Raw materials can be difficult to extract, are often found in countries with poor human rights, and require processing that leaves behind harmful waste.
Fortunately, these battery components are also highly reusable. And now a race is on to collect and recycle used lithium-ion batteries. Venture capitalists, automakers and energy companies are pumping money into dozens of recycling start-ups in North America and Europe.
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