What happen to electric car batteries

The materials for the battery of your future electric car will be extracted from the bottom of the ocean

Underwater mining is called to play a leading role in the process of massification of the electric vehicle. The companies are striving to position themselves in a key industry for the development of the electric car. At the bottom of the ocean there are significant amounts of raw materials necessary for the manufacture of batteries for electric cars.

Mining companies are going to great lengths to obtain the raw materials needed for electric vehicle batteries , even from miles below the ocean surface. The behemoths of the mining industry are racing to tap into these deep sea reserves, striking deals, developing mining processes and equipment, and just as importantly striving to be green.

Meanwhile, environmental groups want to slow the rush by mining companies until more information is available about the impact on this largely untouched area. Several automakers have joined a moratorium on sourcing metals from underwater mining.

The treasure hidden in the depths of the oceans

Vast fields of rocks containing high concentrations of nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese cover what are known as abyssal plains . All of them are raw materials necessary for the manufacture of batteries for electric cars. Some essential resources to materialize the process of change to the electric vehicle that the automotive industries of Europe and the United States have initiated.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the area constitutes 70% of the ocean floor and is found at depths of more than 3 kilometers. It is the largest habitat on Earth.

Pebble- or potato-sized rocks lining the seafloor, called polymetallic nodules, contain much more nickel and cobalt than terrestrial reserves. Land mining of these materials is hampered by dependence on China, environmental impact and the use of slave labor in Africa.

There are 274 million metric tons of nickel within a 2.7 million square kilometer area of ​​the Pacific Ocean known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (between Mexico and Hawaii), according to a Nature report published in 2020. A figure that contrasts with the 95 million metric tons of existing known land reserves . It also highlights that there are 44 million metric tons of cobalt on the seabed compared to 7.5 million on land.

New technologies to obtain raw materials from the seabed

The acceleration of the transition process to the electric vehicle has triggered a fever for the so-called "underwater gold". Mining companies are developing technologies like tractor-sized vacuum cleaners and autonomous robots to collect the polymetallic nodules.

Obtaining tons of rocks at a depth of 3 or more km below the surface of the sea may seem like a complex and expensive process, but the truth is that much of the technology is already developed thanks to the companies that operate the oil platforms that exist in the world. high seas.

Underwater mining has not yet been developed on a large scale. An expected benefit is that the process includes loading ore mined from the seabed onto ships. This will save steps in the supply chain. Cobalt, for example, is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and subsequently shipped to South Africa, where it is shipped to China on ships for further processing. The cobalt, once treated, is sent to battery factories.

The ecological impact of underwater mining

BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, Google and Samsung have signed a moratorium and have promised not to obtain minerals from the seabed until the ecological impact is clarified . Major environmental organizations like Greenpeace also advocate waiting. However, there are certain entities and countries that are supporting this practice. The Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority has awarded three exploration permits to mineral companies this year. The island nation of Nauru also plans to request permits from the international authority with the aim of exploiting these resources from 2023.

Proponents of underwater mining argue that it is less problematic given the location of the resources on land and its associated environmental, geopolitical and labor problems. Experts point out that any type of seabed mining ultimately eliminates both species and habitat.

Different investigations are currently being carried out with the aim of obtaining the necessary information to reach a clear conclusion about the effects of mining on marine habitats and species. General Motors, one of the colossi of the US automotive industry, does not rule out betting on underwater mining. However, he warns that an evaluation based on science and based on environmental footprint data will be carried out beforehand.

What happens to electric car batteries when they run out?, How long do electric car batteries last

What do we do with the batteries once their life is over?

What occurs to the batteries in electric cars when they run out? Despite the fact that electric car sales have not taken off in Spain as they should, the fact that they are being registered at an increasing rate means that this type of vehicle is gradually becoming more common. Our lungs may enjoy this, but the drama of pollution does not go away. And what happens to the electric car batteries after they have served their purpose?

Sales of electric cars

The markets are taking their time accepting electric cars as passenger vehicles, despite proposals from the administration, environmental organisations, and business. These non-polluting vehicles are only now becoming common in a few nations, including Norway, which led the world in registrations in the first half of the year with 56.2% of the total (43,976 units). With 14.4%, 11.3%, and 10.1% of all registered cars of this sort, respectively, consumers from Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands are likewise in the lead. These vehicles are still being used to a very limited extent elsewhere in the area. In Spain, where 8,958 passenger automobiles out of a total of 692,472 were registered between January and June, 1.3%, according to data from the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers.

The electric car has three major problems , which are what prevent its sales from skyrocketing. The manufacturers are working on these three situations, which makes their registrations grow little by little; Now, what will happen to the batteries of these electric vehicles when they run out?

And what happens to the electric car batteries when they run out?

Electric car batteries , most of them lithium, become a problem once their useful life is over. And it is that ending them can be a business opportunity, although there is still no clear protocol on what to do with them, and the process is expensive.

Electric car batteries are usually heavy, have a complex design and their construction process is based on stacked and rolled plates. And what to do with them once they are exhausted is a challenge for the industry. An example of this is China, where the electric car has been a reality for longer.

The ideal would be to try to recycle them, since even if they run out, they still have components that can be useful, so the ideal is to recover them to be able to use them again. The downside is that the process is not easy.

The battery recycling process

The electric car battery recycling process itself is complex. Two processes can currently be carried out. One, the cheapest, is to shred the battery that reaches the recycling plant. The downside is that few raw materials are recovered. The second is the painstaking disassembly of the battery, a more costly process in both time and money.

In addition, the battery has acids and different toxic substances that must be stored, since they cannot be recycled, so the industry also faces the creation of cemeteries for these substances. 

As our colleagues from Computer Hoy explain , to get a ton of lithium, 250 tons of this mineral are needed, or 750 tons of lithium-rich brine. If one ton of lithium is to be obtained from recycled batteries , it would take 250 car batteries to make them. 

What the law in the EU says about batteries

A piece of information: according to reports from El Diario , in the European Union, only 5% of lithium batteries are recycled . Most of it ends up stored in drawers, accumulated in landfills or incinerated. This entails two problems: one, for the environment, and two, it generates dependency on the supply.

According to current European laws, producers of electric vehicle batteries (considered industrial) must bear the costs of collection, management and recycling. But, as in China, Europe has not developed technical standards for recycling electric car batteries either.

How much does it cost to replace set of batteries in an electric car?, minning of electric car batteris

 Miners on the extraction of lithium for use in electric vehicle batteries: "There is no work plan."

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The lack of a plan to utilise the resources of the Spanish land for electric automobiles, a sector that has been continuously expanding, was brought up by the mineral exploitation experts.

Since the manufacturing of electric vehicles started to increase, the mining of minerals like lithium and copper has become increasingly relevant on a global scale.

As a result, mining has emerged as a crucial link in the automotive industry's value chain and is where manufacturers have focused their attention lately.

"Absolutely not. The autonomies, which are responsible for developing mining policy, lack a work plan or a mandatory national strategy, according to Miguel Cabal, manager of Eurogeol and coordinator of the MMH Scientific Committee.

He says that while processing particular projects, this circumstance causes many uncertainties and anxieties for administrations.

According to Cabal's statement to Portal Movilidad Espaa, "There is no mechanism that permits the system to be shortened depending on the necessity. The bureaucratic method is the same for all mineral substances."

The following critical metals are listed as being required by the European Union: Antimony, Barite, Beryllium, Bismuth, Borate, Cobalt, Coking Coal, Fluorite, Gallium, Germanium, Hafnium, Helium, Indium, Magnesium, Natural Graphite, Natural Rubber, Niobium, Phosphorite, Phosphorus, Scandium, Metallic Silicon, Tantalum, Tungsten, Vanadium, Platinum Group Metal

Many of these materials are essential for the creation of electric vehicles as well as other forms of technological growth.

Andalusia's exploitation

Other chemicals, such copper, zinc, or lead, are also need in addition to these. Andalusia has already used some of the latter's resources, and more will be used in the future.

The manager of Eurogeol states, "There are no specific barriers (with the exception of energetic materials like uranium), but there is also no trigger lever."

The sector of Andalusia's economy most immediately impacted by the switch to electric vehicles at this time is the metal industry.

Fundamentally, because an electric car can hold up to four times as much copper as a conventional vehicle, the processes that extract and process copper ore are and will continue to be the most benefited.

"As technology advances, there is a growing demand for mineral raw resources. All products have chips and processors today, thus all types of metallic minerals must contribute, according to Cabal.

European encouragement

There are a number of measures at the European level to urge member countries to promote this type of extractive industry, despite the aforementioned "non-incentive" by the Spanish government.

The expert claims that "to this day, these are devoid of a real plan in the development of these projects."

And he asserts that it is essential for community plans to expand and grow in the region with precise measures and practical strategies that enable the valuation of these basic materials.

What minerals make up the majority of an electric vehicle battery?

The typical battery cell weighs about 185 kilogrammes and has a capacity of 60 kWh, making it comparable in size to the one used in a Chevy Bolt. Electrolyte, binder, separator, and battery case materials are not included in this calculation.

Minerals are used to create complicated components inside of cells that secure the movement of electrical current. Others guard against external accident damage.

The mineral mixture for batteries

The cathode, which may be the most significant and expensive part of the battery, comprises the widest range of minerals. Battery performance is influenced by the cathode's composition, with each mineral providing a special benefit.

For instance, NMC batteries feature a cathode made up of nickel, manganese, and cobalt in addition to lithium, and they accounted for 72% of the batteries used in electric vehicles in 2020 (excluding China).

As a result of these batteries' higher nickel content, which tends to boost their energy density—the amount of energy stored per unit volume—the range of the EV is extended. In NMC batteries, cobalt and manganese frequently serve as stabilisers, increasing battery security.

The average battery manufactured in 2020 contains 31.3% of its mineral weight in cathode materials. Aluminum, which is utilised in nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) cathode chemistries and in other components of the battery like the casing and current collectors, is not included in this number.

Graphite has been used as an anode material of choice because of its availability, affordability, and extended lifespan. Graphite makes up the majority of the anode, the battery's main mineral component. Other components include the steel shell, which shields the cell from damage from the outside, and the copper utilised as the anode's current collector.

Chemically linked minerals

Different cathode mineral compositions are used in various lithium-ion battery types. Their names frequently make reference to the minerals they contain.

For instance:

NMC811 batteries' cathode composition is as follows:

82% nickel

Manganese, 10%

cobalt 10%

Cathode of batteries made with NMC523:

60% nickel

Manganese at 20%

Cobalt is 30%