Battery Circularity Standard

Many governments have introduced strict emissions requirements for automotive OEMs, some even banning the sale of petroleum-fueled vehicles in the 2030s. Automotive OEMs have responded with plans to phase out the production of these polluting vehicles in the next 10 to 15 years with plans to replace them with zero-emission vehicles, primarily Electric Vehicles (EVs). Most EVs are powered by lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). LiBs are constructed with materials that are available in limited quantities and mined in energy-intensive processes. The average life of an automotive LiB can be upto 15 years, resulting in the first batch of LiBs currently on the road that are approaching their end of life (EoL). With the proliferation of EVs globally in the past decade, the number of LiBs reaching EoL will increase in the coming years. By 2030, the projected market share for LiBs in transportation applications will be 77%. These spent batteries present a series of environmental challenges such as leaking hazardous materials. With 80% of storage capacity remaining after use in a vehicle, LiBs also present economic opportunities in secondary applications since they are used in other applications such as energy storage, industrial devices, and portable electronics. There is a gap in policy, standards, and/or regulations to ensure that LiBs are part of a sustainable circular economy. This includes all stages of the LiB lifecycle such as mineral extraction, processing, manufacturing, distribution, use cases, service, and steps in the EoL management process (ex. disassembly from EVs, transportation, storage, suitability for other applications, recycling of materials and minerals, etc.).