Environmental Impact of EV Batteries and Their Recycling

Electrifying transportation is one of the biggest keys to solving the looming climate crisis. The demand for electric vehicles (EV) is booming in the last five years and will increase in the coming years. In this modern age, where EV is the finest means of transportation due to null exhaust gases, there is a dire need to think about ways of recycling and reusing those batteries associated with EVs. In this context, it is estimated that post-vehicle battery packs application will be crossed from 1.4 million to 6.8 million by the year 2035. Numerous researches have been done on the re-purposing and safe disposal of EV batteries. However, presently, Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are the optimal choice for electric transportation due to greater energy density, compact size, and extended life cycles. Nonetheless, the trade-off between re-purposing and disposal of LiBs is substantial for the protection of the environment and human health. Regrettably, Lithium-ion battery recycling percentage is only 3% currently whereas its revival is negligible.