Scrap car recycling network CarTakeBack and battery recycler Ecobat Solutions have partnered to cater to the growing need for EV recycling in the UK.
EVs have become more and more popular in recent years, with one in five new car registrations now being fully electric, and around half having some form of battery assistance. Consumers, however, remain concerned about the resources and scarce metals required to produce a new battery, and worries about sustainability of this new technology could slow the rate of adoption.
Even though only a small number of hybrid and fully electric vehicles are currently reaching their natural end-of-life, the number of ‘premature’ (usually accident damaged) end of life electric vehicles needing scrapping has been growing in recent years. To address this market, CarTakeBack and Ecobat Solutions have been catering to businesses, vehicle manufacturers and the general public to deal with this issue.
The two recyclers expect the numbers needing to be scrapped over the next three years will grow, and the partnership will ensure these vehicles are safely and effectively scrapped, with no more than 5% of the entire vehicle going to landfill.
Ecobat Solutions opened its UK EV Diagnosis and Disassembly Centre in Darlaston, West Midlands, in January 2021. Since then, it has processed over 3,000 EV batteries, using manufacturer-standard diagnostic equipment to grade units and either re-engineer or recycle them.
“We aim to bring the same sustainability and circularity to support EV adoption, and offer a full service from collection, through repurposing into final recycling,” said Tom Seward, EU Key Accounts Director at Ecobat Solutions UK.
Explaining the process, the recyclers said where the vehicle needs to be scrapped, CarTakeBack will ensure that this happens in line with the End-of-Life Vehicle regulations and it is fully depolluted with 95% of the vehicle by weight reused, recycled or recovered. Where the car is an electric or hybrid vehicle, Ecobat Solutions takes on the battery pack and transports it safely for analysis. If the pack is found to be capable of further operation, it may be re-engineered for use in a second-life application like a home energy storage system, according to the wishes of the original manufacturer. If it is truly at the end of its life, then it can be sent to first-stage recycling, and the precious metals can be supplied back into the supply chain for new battery manufacturing.