Key Challenges and Opportunities for Recycling Electric Vehicle Battery Materials

The development and deployment of cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions for recycling end-of-life electric vehicle batteries is becoming increasingly urgent. Based on the existing literature, as well as original data from research and ongoing pilot projects in Canada, this paper discusses the following: (i) key economic and environmental drivers for recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries; (ii) technical and financial challenges to large-scale deployment of recycling initiatives; and (iii) the main recycling process options currently under consideration. A number of policies and strategies are suggested to overcome these challenges, such as increasing the funding for both incremental innovation and breakthroughs on recycling technology, funding for pilot projects (particularly those contributing to fostering collaboration along the entire recycling value chain), and market-pull measures to support the creation of a favorable economic and regulatory environment for large-scale EV battery recycling.