As EV sales continue to grow and more and more automotive manufacturers are introducing new electrified models, EV detractors and environmentalists continue to repeat a rather common question – what will become of these EV batteries when they reach the end of their usable lives? A number of companies have opened or are planning to open battery recycling plants, but more will obviously be needed. However, this issue will reportedly be addressed in part by President Joe Biden’s EV plan, according to a new report from Reuters.
“When you look at the way the U.S. has approached the recycling opportunity, what’s very evident is we need to invest in that capacity, we need to take a more proactive approach,” a Biden administration official told Reuters. “A big part of the lithium opportunity is really recycling, and being a global leader in recycling the lithium from existing batteries and driving that into these new batteries.”
According to the official, Biden’s EV plan will feature a number of ways to boost the number of U.S.-based battery recycling facilities but also focus on expanding research currently being conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory regarding easier and more economical ways to extract the mineral components of a battery so they can be reused.
Additionally, the Biden administration wants to figure out how to reduce metal usage in battery chemistries, as securing minerals like cobalt and lithium is environmentally unfriendly and difficult to do domestically, due to current regulations.
Recycling batteries would reportedly reduce the need for mining copper for new batteries by 55 percent, cobalt and nickel by 35 percent, and lithium by 25 percent, all by the year 2040. In the meantime, Biden plans to source most of these materials from U.S. allies. The alternative is grim, as a recent report indicates that a whopping 8 million tons of battery waste will wind up in U.S. landfills by 2040 if EV batteries are not recycled.
We’ll have more on Biden’s EV plan soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
EXACTLY! Biden will have us, US Taxpayers, pay for this boondoggle. The unspoken agreement will include Ford and the UAW “kicking up” campaign contributions to show their appreciation! Of course, that will be funded by Ford customers and added into the price of the car. Ford loves this too because batteries are only warranted for 2 years, after which more profit awaits!
Recycle, recycle, recycle! I think this bears repeating, 80 million tons of battery waste!!!!!
“Recycling batteries would reportedly reduce the need for mining copper for new batteries by 55 percent, cobalt and nickel by 35 percent, and lithium by 25 percent, all by the year 2040. In the meantime, Biden plans to source most of these materials from U.S. allies. The alternative is grim, as a recent report indicates that a whopping 8 million tons of battery waste will wind up in U.S. landfills by 2040 if EV batteries are not recycled.”
Not the panacea most would include in their vision of a cleaner world!
Joe Biden is too brain dead to have a plan about anything. That he is President is a national embarrassment and disgrace.
The National Embarrassment and Disgrace happen J6 2021 in America you may have been asleep that day or on another planet
Yep, when the Antifa and BLM scum started breaking things and attacking some of the police. Also weird when the Capitol police moved out of the way and invited everyone in. Of course that was the plan all along.
Biden’s plan, that’s funny. His only plan is too try not to say anything that doesn’t come through his ear, and to make sure it doesn’t fall out of his ear. You mean Obama’s plan.
So we ♻️
A solvable problem… it will get done! To TOM above, grow some brains and address the technology, its way forward and its benefits or. If not, get off this site…. please!
Tom, Mike, Stephen, Royl, and many more. The list of people who are unable to separate politics from anything ever grows! Some just want to read up on Ford articles time to time without the political nonsense. Not possible I guess!!!
Biden’s plan, that’s funny. His only plan is too try not to say anything that doesn’t come through his ear, and to make sure it doesn’t fall out of his ear. You mean Obama’s plan.
Sure are alot of haters out there, So 😥