Return Rates and Recovery Options of Used Electric Vehicle Traction Batteries in Germany

Electro-mobility is considered a key technology for reducing CO2 emissions in road traffic. However, an aspect that is little addressed in the discussion about the advantages of electro-mobility for the reduction of greenhouse gas emission is the high ecological footprint of the manufacturing of electric vehicles, especially due to the resource-intensive traction battery. In addition to the provision of renewable electricity for vehicle charging, efficient recycling of the battery materials and the longest possible use of the battery systems and components are prerequisites for the sustainable design of electro-mobility. This article provides an overview of the circular value chain of obsolete traction batteries from electric vehicles. Based on a system-dynamics and a discrete-event simulation approach, future return quantities of obsolete traction batteries are estimated on the basis of current diffusion scenarios, and various utilization options from 2nd-life concepts to alternative recycling processes are presented and discussed.