Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling

Date: Jan 18, 2024

If you are out and about in Evesham Township, you will likely see at least a few electric vehicles during your commute. EVs are growing in popularity thanks to their environmental benefits, ease of maintenance, and advanced technology. 

If you are interested in an EV for the environmental benefits, you may have concerns about sustainability when it comes to EV batteries. What happens to old electric car batteries? BMW of Mount Laurel explains the process of EV battery disposal and electric car battery recycling. 

What Happens to Old Electric Vehicle Batteries? 

What happens to old electric car batteries? Many components of EV batteries are recyclable. When the battery is past its prime, auto recyclers ship it to a specialized firm to take it apart. Once disassembled, the cells and circuits are crushed to sort out and purify the metals.

BMW of Mount Laurel is dedicated to responsibly recycling hybrid batteries, too. Most automakers have guidelines and collection programs specifically for hybrid battery recycling. 

EV Battery Disposal – How to Recycle EV Batteries 

EV batteries and hybrid batteries are recycled similarly. The steps below are a general overview of electric car battery recycling. 

• EV battery packs are sent off 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. 

EV Battery Recycling for Future Use 

Now that you know more about EV battery disposal, you may have questions about repurposing EV batteries. While opportunities do exist for repurposing EV batteries, it is not cost-effective and therefore not common. However, EVs are growing in popularity and so should the opportunities to develop new technology to make the process more affordable. 

Did you know that the liquid hydrocarbons from traditional batteries can no longer provide energy when a battery reaches the end of its lifecycle? That is not the case for some components of an EV battery. Cobalt, for example, can be reused again and again. Because of this, depleted batteries can provide valuable battery production resources. 

Shop for a New EV Today

After learning about what happens to old electric car batteries during electric car battery recycling, are you ready to adopt the EV lifestyle? Learn all about EV ownership with BMW of Mount Laurel, and reach out to us with any questions you may have.