It's early days for this industry but recycling EV batteries is very much a thing, they're too valuable to not recycle them, and it's a rapidly growing industry (Redwood Materials is the best example). The batteries can either be recycled or repurposed as stationary storage. Sure, there will always be someone somewhere who has trouble offloading a battery without incurring an expense, but I feel it's inevitable that a transport network will develop – especially as autonomous vehicles roll out. Industrial applications for autonomous transport will reduce costs dramatically and make collecting an EV battery from a more remote mechanic or dealer more viable.
There's a lot of misinformation about EV batteries. Cobalt for example is no longer a huge component. LFP batteries are now dominant and use no cobalt. Lithium and iron are plentiful.
It's early days for this industry but recycling EV batteries is very much a thing, they're too valuable to not recycle them, and it's a rapidly growing industry (Redwood Materials is the best example). The batteries can either be recycled or repurposed as stationary storage. Sure, there will always be someone somewhere who has trouble offloading a battery without incurring an expense, but I feel it's inevitable that a transport network will develop – especially as autonomous vehicles roll out. Industrial applications for autonomous transport will reduce costs dramatically and make collecting an EV battery from a more remote mechanic or dealer more viable.
There's a lot of misinformation about EV batteries. Cobalt for example is no longer a huge component. LFP batteries are now dominant and use no cobalt. Lithium and iron are plentiful.