The afterlife of an electric vehicle’s battery
The electrification of the car industry is still in its baby years, and yet we should already be thinking of what will happen in a few years, when millions of electric vehicles (EVs) start getting retired.
In 2021, EV sales more than doubled to 6.6 million, representing close to 9% of the global car market and more than tripling their market share from two years earlier [ 1]. Assuming that the average lifespan of an EV battery pack is 10 to 15 years, we will soon start seeing the first electric cars getting retired.
Considering that EV batteries -like any other battery- degrade slowly over time instead of suddenly failing, it’s reasonable to think that those EVs retiring soon will still have batteries that can hold some percentage of their original charge capacity. However, many customers will not want a car that can only hold, say, 60% of its original charge capacity. Finding a sustainable solution for this situation will be critical for the successful global transition to electric vehicles and its long term sustainability.
Fortunately, there are multiple possible solutions, even though none of them are easy to implement. Let’s take a look at the top 3 possible futures for an EV battery.
1. Recycle its materials