Originally posted by mogga
Will the expired old batteries from EVs leave us with a serious disposal problem in the future?
Could become another "asbestos" problem - seemed like a great idea at the time but what do we do with it now?
Maybe we can dispose of the batteries the same way we dispose of nuclear waste - but just not in my back yard please
https://www.theguardian.com/sustain...s-big-battery-waste-problem-lithium-recycling
Whilst you cannot argue that an EV is less polluting than its oil drive cousin it is a concern that the batteries have
- Heavy reliance of rare-earth elements such as neodymium, lanthanum, terbium, and dysprosium, and other critical metals such as lithium and cobalt, though the quantity of rare metals used differs per car. Reliance on rare earth elements is problematic as these resources are finite.
- I guess they call them "rare earths" for a reason - especially if China controls 48% of world production
Common technology for plug-ins and electric cars is based on the lithium-ion battery and an electric motor which uses rare-earth elements. The demand for lithium, heavy metals, and other specific elements (such as neodymium, boron and cobalt) required for the batteries and powertrain is expected to grow significantly due to the future sales increase of plug-in electric vehicles in the mid and long term.[As of 2011, the Toyota Prius battery contains more than 20 lb (9.1 kg) of the rare-earth element lanthanum, and its motor magnets use neodymium and dysprosium. While only 0.25 oz (7 g) of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) are required in a smartphone and 1.1 oz (30 g) in a tablet computer, electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems for homes, businesses or industry use much more lithium in their batteries. As of 2016 a hybrid electric passenger car might use 11 lb (5 kg) of LCE, while one of Tesla's high performance electric cars could use as much as 180 lb (80 kg).
Let us look at supply security
Some of the largest world reserves of lithium and other rare metals are located in countries with strong resource nationalism, unstable governments or hostility to U.S. interests, raising concerns about the risk of replacing dependence on foreign oil with a new dependence on hostile countries to supply
strategic materials.
Lithium
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