Echelon utilization of waste power batteries in new energy vehicles: Review of Chinese policies

Abstract

Abstract Echelon utilization of waste power batteries in new energy vehicles has high market potential in China. However, bottlenecks, such as product standards, echelon utilization technology, and recycling network systems, have given rise to the urgent need for policy improvement. This study uses content analysis to code policies and investigate the central and local policies on the echelon utilization of waste power batteries in China from two dimensions, namely, basic policy instruments and industrial chain processes. Results show that in terms of basic policy instruments, central policies focus on structural mandatory instruments, whereas local policies focus on contractual inducement, which tend to be diversified. Interactive impact instruments are the least frequently used in both central and local policies. From the perspective of the recycling industry chain, central and local policy instruments concentrate mainly on the echelon utilization and detection and evaluation stages and focus less on the collection and transportation stages. Suggestions are offered as follows. (1) Increase the use of interactive impact instruments and optimize their classification. (2) Emphasize the matching between basic policy instruments and the recycling industry chain.(3) The policy instrument combination of “one place, one policy” could be implemented.