Financial viability of electric vehicle lithium-ion battery recycling
Laura Lander,
Tom Cleaver,
Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar,
Viet Nguyen-Tien,
Robert J.R. Elliott,
Oliver Heidrich,
Emma Kendrick,
Jacqueline Sophie Edge,
Gregory Offer
Affiliations
Laura Lander
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK; The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot, UK
Tom Cleaver
Cognition Energy Ltd, 30 Upper High Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, UK
Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar
School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Faraday Institution, ReLiB Project, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Viet Nguyen-Tien
The Department of Economics, JG Smith Building, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Faraday Institution, ReLiB Project, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Robert J.R. Elliott
The Department of Economics, JG Smith Building, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Faraday Institution, ReLiB Project, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Oliver Heidrich
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Emma Kendrick
Faraday Institution, ReLiB Project, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements and Critical Materials, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Jacqueline Sophie Edge
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK; The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot, UK
Gregory Offer
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK; The Faraday Institution, Quad One, Becquerel Avenue, Harwell Campus, Didcot, UK; Corresponding author
Summary: Economically viable electric vehicle lithium-ion battery recycling is increasingly needed; however routes to profitability are still unclear. We present a comprehensive, holistic techno-economic model as a framework to directly compare recycling locations and processes, providing a key tool for recycling cost optimization in an international battery recycling economy. We show that recycling can be economically viable, with cost/profit ranging from (−21.43 - +21.91) $·kWh−1 but strongly depends on transport distances, wages, pack design and recycling method. Comparing commercial battery packs, the Tesla Model S emerges as the most profitable, having low disassembly costs and high revenues for its cobalt. In-country recycling is suggested, to lower emissions and transportation costs and secure the materials supply chain. Our model thus enables identification of strategies for recycling profitability.
