Abstract
PurposeWith the UK’s accelerating plans to transition to electric mobility, this paper aims to highlight the need for policies to prepare for appropriate management of electric vehicle (EV) lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as they reach the end of their life.Design/methodology/approachThis is a regulatory review based on projections of EV LIBs coming off the market and associated problems of waste management together with the development of a servitisation model.FindingsCircular economy in EV LIBs is unlikely to shape itself because LIB recycling is challenging and still in development. LIB volumes are insufficient for recycling to be currently profitable, and a circular economy here will need to be driven by regulatory intervention. Ignoring the problem carries potentially high environmental and health costs. This paper offers potential solutions through new EV ownership models to facilitate a circular economy.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors suggest a new EV ownership model. However, despite environmental benefits, re-shaping the fundamentals of market economies can have disruptive effects on current markets. Therefore, further exploration of this topic is needed. Also, the data presented is based on future projections of EV markets, battery lifespan, etc., which are uncertain at present. These are to be taken as estimates only.Originality/valueThe paper proposes regulatory interventions or incentives to fundamentally change consumer ideas of property ownership for EVs, so that EV automotive batteries remain the property of the manufacturer even when the consumer owns the car.
Highlights
Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have increased steadily in the past few decades, and human fossil fuel consumption is fundamentally linked to global warming (Zhao et al, 2019)
Further data is still needed to decide whether best circular economy benefits could be achieved through direct recycling of the critical materials contained within lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)
We argue that the current 2006 battery regulations are inadequate to deal with the new electric vehicle (EV) landscape, and arguably are no longer “fit for purpose” to support effective use and management of EV LIBs
Summary
Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have increased steadily in the past few decades, and human fossil fuel consumption is fundamentally linked to global warming (Zhao et al, 2019). Further data is still needed to decide whether best circular economy benefits could be achieved through direct recycling of the critical materials contained within LIBs. While our new regulatory proposals for battery ownership would mainly help to extend battery life, and facilitate re-use and repurposing, we suggest that it would help to facilitate improved recycling efficiencies through greater takeback and collection rates. The servitisation model could offer other unseen environmental benefits for high-value and environmentally costly LIBs. Regular and reliable maintenance and servicing may for example, lead to better lifetime outcomes by prolonging the first life of an EV battery: manufacturers as owners of the battery would have every incentive to extend the life of the battery as much as possible, as well as to consider EoL management right from the outset by designing batteries that are easier to remove and disassemble (and easier to recycle or re-use). Perhaps, that re-shaping the fundamentals of market economies, such as property rights, can have profoundly disruptive effects
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