What happens to your EV battery when it’s replaced?
22/12/2020
What happens to EV batteries when they are replaced. This is a question that pops up several times across our social media platforms, especially our dedicated EV channel, ecoTEC There are concerns about are if the toxins from the battery packs in up in the landfill.
Our friend, Nikki Gordon Bloomfield has addressed the question and given more insight into what happens to EV batteries. Some of the questions/ comments that the treatment of batteries they are equally if not, no better than ICE/petrol cars. Is this true? Makes you wonder whether or not electric cars are as clean as they say.
In a normal scenario, the reasons to have your battery replaced are premature battery aging, high mileage, or reduced range. Usually, an automaker can open it and replace the cell. They can physically open the battery and replace the poor performing cell with a new one.
A battery can then be retested and recertified for a new car in the future provided the battery pack mileage is low. With the demand for EVs increasing, most manufacturers will have a second life battery project. For example, Nissan uses them for static emergency backup projects, and BMW uses them for Grid Tide Pilot projects. Toyota also uses them at national parks for off-grid places to use renewable energy. Pretty cool in our opinion!
Second life battery projects are ideal, although the battery can’t be used to power a car, they can definitely be used for other energy-storing capabilities.
If not possible, the very last option is recycling the raw material Battery cells can be broken down and material can be used to make new cells or raw materials for other products. For example, the Tesla battery cycling pilot program.
Over time, more and more innovative ways to break chemical bonds. New methods less energy-intensive and better for the environment. Increasing material that is recovered. Not all can be recycled but 100 is in reach.
For more information, check out the video! This is only a teaser into the information you can get from our ecoVLOG.
