From the Editor

WHERE DO EV BATTERIES GO WHEN THEY DIE?

With gas prices trending the way that they have been, I can’t be the only one who is seriously considering making the change to an electric vehicle. Lately, I’ve found myself weighing just how badly I actually need to run certain errands. Is going to the store really worth it if I’m spending more on the gas it takes to get there than I am on what I went there to buy? In Canada, where I live, the federal carbon tax increased by 25 percent on April 1, raising gas prices even more. This is in addition to the government’s newly released Emissions Reduction Plan which will ban the sale of vehicles running on internal combustion engines as of 2035. With 13 years left until purchasing a new gasoline or diesel vehicle is out of the question, making the switch to an EV seems like the natural choice.

The upswing in popularity for electric vehicles can be seen globally. According to Gary Moore, director of global business development at UNTHA, it’s predicted that by the end of this year, one in every 10 new cars in the U.K. will be electric, and electric vehicle sales in the U.S. will double to reach 1.2 million.

There are countless arguments in favour of the switch to electric vehicles: lower maintenance costs, no more oil changes, a smaller carbon footprint, and they’re generally cheaper to operate than their gas and diesel counterparts. While these benefits are undeniably persuasive, electric vehicles also come with some drawbacks that prospective buyers need to take into consideration.

For me, a major drawback is that I live many kilometres away from the closest EV charging station. And because I live in an apartment, that also complicates charging it at home. I can’t just park it in my garage, run an extension cord to the car, and forget about it for a few hours. Plus, with summer approaching, and therefore road trip season, the range limitations that come along with electric vehicles can really throw a wrench in my adventure plans.

With 13 years left until purchasing a new gasoline or diesel vehicle is out of the question, making the switch to an EV seems like the natural choice.

While there are ways to work around almost all of these inconveniences, there’s still one major challenge that is harder to navigate: what happens to the batteries when they reach the end of their life?

In this issue of Recycling Product News, we explore the future of electric vehicles and the challenges that EV battery recycling is both overcoming and facing. Read on to find out how Ascend Elements’ Hydro-to-Cathode process is turning endof-life lithium-ion batteries back into usable material, while UNTHA’s Gary Moore provides a commentary on the role of electric vehicles in the wider battery recycling debate.

SLONE FOX

Editor

sfox@baumpub.com recyclingproductnews.com