New Volkswagen Power Plant

In recent years, researchers have begun investigating several different types of rechargeable batteries, including Lithium-Ion Polymer (Li-ion) and Li-Metal Hydride (MHC). This originated the challenge “What to do with the batteries when they reach the end of their lives?”

With this, some carmakers and other players are developing technologies to recycle car used batteries, giving them a second life, either in form of battery or in form of recycled raw materials.

Volkswagen is taking a step in this direction. Some months ago, VW announced that they had opened its first battery recycling plant in Salzgitter (Germany). According to the German car manufacturer, the plant will be able to recycle 95 percent of the battery pack’s materials instead of the former 60 percent.

The projection is clear, per year there are expected to be 3,600 recycled batteries. From these 3,600 batteries materials like nickel, lithium, manganese, cobalt, copper, aluminum, and plastics will be extracted — overall this accumulates to 1,600 tons of recycled material.

The idea of recycling used-up EV batteries makes sense because using recycled material in battery production is far cheaper and less environmentally damaging than mining new material.

“We know from many years of research that recycled battery raw materials are just as efficient as new ones,” said Mark Möller, head of technical development at Volkswagen Group Components in an interview. “We plan to support our cell production in the future with the material we have recovered. We really want to use every possible gram of recovered material as the demand for batteries rises sharply.”

Just by the end of the decade, around the year 2030, we will see the batteries from the earliest Nissan Leafs needing to be recycled, pressing the market. So for now, the current capacity of the VW pilot plant is good for the number of used EV’s that Germany will see for the next years. However, only in the years to come we will see how good the existing infrastructures for recycling batteries really are.

Another aspect of EV battery recycling that we don’t have to deal with yet, is the issue of new battery types. It is likely that not long after lithium-ion battery recycling begins in volume, solid-state batteries with polymers will be hitting the market, and they’ll likely represent a much more diverse category of materials that potentially require different recycling techniques.

How fast we will be able to cope with the afterlife of the newly developed technologies? Only time will tell.