Engine, hood, wheels, headlights, mirrors or doors. All of them are part of the vehicles and European regulations suggest that 95% of cars must be recycled. More than 4.000 pieces that mix plastic, textile fibers, steel, steel, aluminum, oils, fuels. To which now we must add others such as graphite or lithium. These last 'ingredients' are essential in the batteries of the new electric cars, "at the moment they are not a big problem, but they could be in the future because everything will be electrified", answers José María Cancer Abóitiz, CEO of Cesvimap, on World Recycling Day.
Last year, in Spain, a total of 36.452 electric vehicles were registered, a higher figure than in 2021. But, yes, the percentage of electrified cars barely reaches 1% and plug-in and pure cars represent 0,5 % and 0,4% of the total respectively. "It is expected that the accumulation of batteries from electric cars by 2025 will exceed 3,4 million packages," the data from Recyclia and Recyberica Ambiental point out.
Early research suggests that up to 70% of the materials contained in these batteries "can be recycled," says Cancer. Currently there are two techniques for recovery: hydrometallurgy and pyrolysis. Initially, by immersion in a certain type of liquid that corrodes elements such as steel or aluminium, but that "allows us to recover, for example, lithium", highlights the CEO of Cesvimap. In this case of the second technique, the materials burn and the aluminum or copper does not oxidize, but "the graphite does burn", he warned. "At the moment, there is no process that makes it possible to recover 100% of the components that are in these batteries," he adds. "Now, reuse is more useful."
“Better reuse”
In general, all car manufacturers guarantee the batteries of these electric buses for at least eight years or 100.000 kilometres. "When the performance falls below 80%, the driver must plant the substitution," say the manufacturers. But this "does not mean that they cannot be used," says Carcer. “They can have a second life of luxury,” he warns.
"In 75% of electric car accidents, the battery can be reused"
Jose Maria Cancer Aboitiz
Cesvimap CEO
As of 2020, in addition to headquarters in Ávila, they sought to give them a golden retirement. "It is a real aberration to lose all the technology and materials that have been invested in a battery," says Cáncer. In recent years, “total losses have arrived at his facilities and we have tried to recover the batteries of electric cars,” he comments.
First of all, they look at whether they can be installed in another car, because "in 75% of accidents, the battery can be reused," he says. “Now we are working on how if a car cannot be moved, it can serve as energy storage at home”, explained the CEO of Cesvimap. “We have tested it and it is useful.”
However, "currently it is something residual," says Cáncer. At its facilities, in 2022, 73 batteries arrived, "that is 26% of all electric vehicle casualties in Spain", but it does not cover the entire offer. "Do, it can be done," he emphasizes.
The technology is available, but the costs for its recovery and reuse are not the best because "they have to go through a decontamination and repair process to be reused," Cancer explained. "In addition, we can talk about luxury batteries because they are prepared to withstand extreme temperatures and strong impacts."
The recycling of these batteries represents a challenge for the industry in the sector that continues its journey towards the electrification of mobility. A return that manifests itself on this World Recycling Day the problem will be a reality in the next decade when the useful life of the first to arrive has come to an end.
Portable batteries for the city
Although until reaching the roofs of the houses, the batteries of electric cars have found an intermediate step that those responsible for Cesvimap have baptized as "battery pack".
The modular structure of vehicle batteries allows the construction of small portable devices that can be used to solve temporary problems. "These devices usually have 48 modules and with only two you can already build energy storage," explained Cancer. His pilot project due to power has the audiovisual equipment of it. "Now, we can give an autonomy of about 10 kilometers to an electric car that gives up without energy in a city."
