Can EV Batteries Be Recycled?

Written By Teacher: Elizabeth Ward

My name is Elizabeth Ward. I am a former Early Childhood, Elementary, and English as a Foreign Language educator. I have taught third grade Science and Social Studies as well as Kindergarten in both urban and rural Oklahoma public schools. I taught online EFL to students of all ages in China for four years. I also have experience in curriculum development and content design for teachers in the physical and digital classroom. As a former teacher I have a passion for supporting teachers and making their jobs easier. I currently live in the greater Houston area with my husband and four dogs. 

The recyclability of electric vehicle (EV) batteries is improving, but challenges remain in efficiency, cost, and scalability. While many battery materials can be recovered and reused, the recycling process requires advancements to reduce waste and environmental impact. Exploring this topic helps students understand the balance between the benefits of EVs and the need for sustainable solutions in battery production and disposal. Invite your students to learn more about transportation’s impact on the environment with this article from Project Drawdown.

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

Millions of electric vehicles are now being sold around the world, containing large lithium-ion batteries. For reasons of both safety and sustainability, these batteries must be recycled or carefully disposed of when the cars reach the end of their driving lives.

Elsa Olivetti, Jerry McAfee (1940) Professor in Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) and co-director of the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium, says that like all forms of recycling, the EV battery recycling business will be driven by which materials are most profitable to salvage. In the case of lithium-ion batteries, she says, that most often means metals such as nickel and cobalt. These materials are expensive and often mined in lower-income countries under problematic conditions.

Saving nickel and cobalt from old batteries could reduce the amount that needs to be newly mined, especially if recyclers deliver on claims that more than 95 percent of these materials can be salvaged. However, as the world transitions from gas-powered to electric vehicles, the demand for these materials will far outpace the supply from recycling, so mining metals such as cobalt will still be necessary.