SECOND LIFE: The U.S. Department of Energy funds recycling of lithium-ion batteries from hybrid-electric vehicles.
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In the race to put 1 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015, another challenge awaits on the other side of the finish line: recycling all of those batteries.
The Department of Energy recently awarded $9.5 million to a California-based recycling company to boost capacity for lithium-ion batteries, the kind used to power most of the new hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles entering the world market.
Toxco Inc. -- currently the only U.S.-based company able to recycle all sizes and models of lithium-ion batteries -- will use the grant to expand its recycling facility in Lancaster, Ohio, to process vehicle-grade batteries.
The facility currently processes large-format lead-acid batteries, as well as nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the current population of hybrid and electric vehicles.
The grant is part of $2.4 billion in stimulus funds awarded last month to jump-start the manufacturing and deployment of a domestic crop of vehicle batteries, part of President Obama's pledge to transition the country away from a dependency on foreign oil and foreign-made batteries.
"As the U.S. hybrid vehicle market continues to grow, Toxco will provide end-of-life management and recycling of these advanced batteries in a safe and environmentally sound manner," said Todd Coy, executive vice president of Kinsbursky Brothers Inc., Toxco's parent company.
That means batteries that power cars like Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf, unveiled last month, or General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt, due out in 2010, will likely find their way to Toxco's plant in Lancaster, where they will be transformed into scrap commodities like cobalt, copper, nickel and lithium carbonate.
Toxco's Canadian recycling facility in Trail, British Columbia, already recycles lithium-ion batteries from devices like laptop computers, industrial plants and Tesla Motors Inc.'s all-electric Roadster vehicle. The batteries are frozen to -325 degrees Fahrenheit to defuse the lithium before being sheared, shredded and separated into their constituent parts for resale.
Though lithium currently fetches very little on the open market, other components in lithium-ion batteries, such as nickel and cobalt, will make the batteries far too valuable to send to the landfill. Coy said the Lancaster plant would also be able to reclaim lithium carbonate for reuse in vehicle batteries if a market develops for the material.
Other recyclers preparing for EV revolution
As demand grows for electric vehicles, so, too, will demand for the nickel, cobalt and manganese metals that power their batteries, said Tim Weekes, spokesman for the Belgium-based materials group Umicore, which applied for U.S. stimulus funds to recycle vehicle batteries but was not awarded a grant.
"We're certainly convinced the electrification of vehicle drivetrains will happen," said Weekes, whose company expects hybrid and electric vehicles to make up about 5 percent of the world market by 2015, a volume that would offer significant new opportunities for recyclers.
Umicore is among several recycling firms looking to position themselves for what could be a major expansion in electric vehicle sales.
Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan, whose electric Leaf was unveiled this month, has said electric vehicle sales will make up 10 percent of the market by 2020, a figure equal to about 65 million units last year.
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26 Comments
Add CommentThese old hybrid car batteries will be the greatest pollution problem of the next generation. Guaranteed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOld hybrid car batteries will be the greatest pollution problem of the next generation. Guaranteed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHorrible technology. Do not buy one these vehicles.
What if you are in a severe car accident? Will that "government regulated unbreakable" case be impact proof? Acid burns will abound. These cars will make the Pinto look like an armored car.
petemicus, your acid burns are from batteries that are no longer used for electric cars so don't worry too much about it. That "government regulated unbreakable" case will be just as reliable as the one under your butt right now in your car. Instead of being filled with explosive carcinogenic gasoline it will be filled with electrons and metals that can be recycled. Nobody is going to let those materials sit around.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat in the hell are you talking about? What do you think this article is about? Obviously, these issues are being addressed now for a reason. Maybe reading and doing a bit more research might help your pessimistic case the next time around... Still negative, but maybe a bit more intelligent.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHas anyone done a calculation as to whether the energy used in creating and disposing of the batteries is less than that saved by using a hybrid vehicle compared to a gasoline powered one? e.g. my Honda civic averaged about 25 mpg, whereas it looks like the Prius will be going about 49 mpg.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think some of these negative comments are a spillover from the dumbed-down Bush administration. If there is a dollar to be made, there is an American willing to do what it takes to make that dollar. Even after the stupid, childish, and inmature Bush administration, I still have faith in America and Americans. When electric cars hit the market in full-force, we will have everything it will take to take care of them and keep ourselves and families safe. I wish we had kept the electric cars we had a hundred years ago. If we did, we would not be having these douts now.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy 2001 Prius just had a main battery replacement: $3400! The battery lasted 8 years and 8 months,m and was guaranteed for 8 years or 80K miles, whichever occurs first. We have only 65K miles on the car, and I am a bit bummed that the warranty was for whichever threshold was reached first. BUT, the replacement battery has only a one year warranty on it!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA new industry is born. Instead of ripping of stereos, they'll be ripping off battery packs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI remember hearing a statistic some years ago that stated that the energy cost to make a new car is equivalent to around 10 years of running. I suspect that this initial production energy cost will be larger for hybrid or electric vehicles than for conventional I/C cars due to the necessity for Li-ion batteries, motors etc. Add to this the energy cost of recycling and you may have done more damage to the environment than if you had simply bought an ordinary car.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe other question that remains is how to generate the electricity required to charge a plug-in type car - will the generation be by 'green' means such as wind farms or will we simply be moving the CO2 emmisions from the exhaust pipe of the car to the fossil-fuel fired power stations?
My opinion is that a more environmentally sound option would be to design cars for a longer service life - I own a classic car with almost half a million miles on the clock so with proper maintenance this is no great technical challenge. The way to accomplish this would be to lease a car from the manufacturer who then undertakes maintenance periodically and, say every 2 years, swaps the car for one that has been thoroughly overhauled, modernised if necessary and cosmetically updated. That way the driver doesn't have to worry about reliability (if it breaks down the manufacturer just swaps it for another one) and he gets a 'good as new' car every 2 years. All that and its better for the environment - even with a normal petrol (that's gasoline to you americans) or diesel engine.
green power generation IS more prevalent recently and wil continue to grow. and if the plug-ins ARE powered by coal or other fossil fuel plants it is still better than burning it in your engine because they can capture the CO2 and keep it from going into the atmosphere(lots of arguments about what to do with it AFTER they capture it, but it will only be a temporary hurtle to jump)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne person's garbage is another person's gold. Concentrating elements is a value added process. Energy independent of pollution is even more valuable. What we need is a recycle fee or a deposit return to encourage collection. Cutting corners on this for a quick buck is likely to leave a mess around. Optimistic indeed!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI believe some 75-85% of energy use occurs during the lifetime/use of vehicles, so unless a typical car runs for 40-50 years I don't think you're correct, will see if I can find some links.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article sort of shows this. Check out the graph.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/06/chester-20090609.html
Environmental issues about battery manufacturing and recycling are not to be overlooked.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisElectric vehicles should have intermittent access to non-contact charging lanes on designated roadways and conductive links along ramps and inclines. Reducing demand for deep cycle battery use will extend their life as well.
Ian, You are mistaken. See this web page:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/cash-for-clunkers-the-environmental-cost-of-a-new-car/
It costs the energy equivalent of about 830 gallons of gas to make a 3000 pound car. If you drive 12,000 miles per year at 24 mpg, you burn that much gas in less than two years.
I past today in front of the door of a shop that a year ago was selling electrical bykes and motorbykes. It was empty and the space offered for rent. If you look at automobile history books (zum beispiel www.sae.org/store ) you will realize that the electric car, starting from a temporary boom early in the 20th century, is a recurring and relapsing new such as Loch Ness monster. Hybrids are a promising reality, but pure electric cars look like a decoy bird to distract people from more important issues, such as where is coming from the money that will buy the bonds used to subside the debt caused by the govermenment steps of giving money to banks and other economical actors to ease the crisis produced by a foreseable lack of payment from not too stable incomes when the interest rates soared in response to inflationary pressures caused by undesirable banking practices, a self sustaining process. I guess that petrol continues to be one of the best energy storage systems in devices intended to produce transport and mobile power. Don't let them fool you! Don't let them change you!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisnot just when the car dies; but when it's injured in an accident!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisImagine the poor firefighter who has to use the "Jaws of Life" to extricate your carcass and there's a 400 v. main line buried in the sheet metal. When it's raining--at night.
Shocking.
I don't see any unsolvable technical problem with E-V or Hybrids. Getting rid of the battery packs can also be done without undue harm to the environment. Same with charging; the weakness in wind and solar energy is storage and your battery pack is just that. But it will take time, goodwill (which I don't see very much) and lots of money. This is where I see a problem. Given that the price of car fuel today is approx 50% taxes, then that zillion $ annual fuel sales not happening any more will leave gov'ts 1/2 zillion $ short. Where is it going to come from?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFirst is lithium batteries are not toxic or dangerous. Nor are they acid.
Again the poster here, most rightwingnuts don't have a clue. In fact their opinions support Iran, Russia, oil dictators and terrorists and is destroying our economy.. That makes them traitors in my book. No wonder they are dying out, down to 25% dead enders.
To the Prius driver I doubt your price. Even if it was why didn't you just get a if it was why didn't you get one from a wreck or have yours rebuilt at under $500? Very few of these have had to be replaced in any Prius at any mileage.
First before you can recycle any of these battery packs you'll have to get them past EV people who will repair or use the good parts to make new EV's.
Ian, EV's will be lighter than ICE's and even at the same weight would have about the same manufacturing footprint. But fueling them even from coal because EV's take 1/3 the energy because they are so much more eff, go 3x's father from the same base fuel. or 6-10x's father from RE electricity.
Of course there will be a recycling fee of maybe $400, then there will be the Using the highway fee's each month, since you are not paying gasoline taxes to support the highways.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn California they are passing a bill, up to $1.25/mile during high traffic times. We all know, individual cells are going to fail, and require expensive replacement costs, just to get in to the battery pack.
Now stop using the Heater, or Air Conditioner or you will only go 25 miles between charges, or the engine has to go on to supply those needs.
I want to see how those batteries work in our northern states when it's 20 below Zero, and in Calif. when the underhood temps are 140 degrees. We who know batteries, know there are chemical migration problems, and there will be semiconductor failures to control charge and discharge.
We are in for a surprize when these really face daily use. What about Pickup Trucks, and Semi's and all the other vehicles that use gasoline?
Yes the earth is heating up, but the idea that 350 parts per million of CO2 causes this is a joke, maybe the amount of water vapor, or magic might be the problem, but 99% of citizens have no knowledge of chemistry, so they will believe anything.
The Corvair with it's rear engine weight was a problem, I wonder what weight distribution in these vehicles will cause problems. Will we have any luggage space? I'm only 82, and plan to live another hundred years, just to see what science brings to society. I've enjoyed 1927 to now, during this lifetime, advances I could not have dreamed of, are here.
Yet I can still play 78rpm records on my Victrola. How will you play those CD's and DVD's in 2080?
idk lol
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIDK lolzzz
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor the Prius owner and others one doesn't have to replace the pack as likely just 1 or 2 cells went bad and once replaced with other used cells, will work fine for another 3-5 yrs or so.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEV packs are likely to last 10 yrs at which time they still have 80% range. These will be even more likely repaired instead of replaced.
Lithium batteries are now down to premium lead batteries in cost and still dropping. Because the materials are so inexpensive for LiFePo4 they will get as low as golf cart batteries, low enough so cost less than 1 yr of fossil fuel cost.
EV's are 3-6x's as eff from whatever base fuel as ICE's in cars never run eff, mostly a 250hp engine loafing at 20hp or idling. Vs EV drive which is only on when needed and 1 moving part.
Hi,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe can recycle used Li-ion batteries.
We are Li-ion batteries recycling company in India. We need large quantity of scrap/used/waste Li-ion batteries on regular basis. Please quote your price either FOB or CIF Nhavasheva (Mumbai, India) along with the details of the quantity available and how much can your company provide us on monthly basis.
My email id is jmehta129@gmail.com and my hand phone number is +91-9004496307.
Your early response will be highly appreciated.
Regards
Jayesh
Hi,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe are Li-ion batteries recycling company in India. We need large quantity of scrap/used/waste Li-ion batteries on regular basis. Please quote your price either FOB or CIF Nhavasheva (Mumbai, India) along with the details of the quantity available and how much can your company provide us on monthly basis.
My email id is jmehta129@gmail.com and my hand phone number is +91-9004496307.
"Due to efficiency of electric engines as compared to combustion engines, even when the electricity used to charge electric vehicles comes from a CO2 emitting source, such as a coal or gas fired powered plant, the net CO2 production from an electric car is typically one half to one third of that from a comparable combustion vehicle.[38][39]
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisElectric vehicles release almost no air pollutants at the place where they are operated. In addition, it is generally easier to build pollution control systems into centralised power stations than retrofit enormous numbers of cars."
Regarding safety of GAS vehicles:
"In 2010, there were 184,500 highway GASOLINE vehicle fires which resulted in 285 deaths, 1,440 injuries, and $1 billion dollars in direct property damage."