Post-Consumer Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries

The end-of-life management of EV batteries is a significant issue. With the use of high-performance batteries on the rise, they have the potential to become the next global waste management challenge. This Major Research Paper comparatively analyzes the policy structures for managing the end-of-lives for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in Canada, the European Union and the United States. Sociotechnical transition theory is used to understand the effects of large-scale technological transitions as they relate to electric vehicles. Emphasis is placed on the downstream consequences of technological transitions, and the lack of discussion in the transitions literature of downstream effects. This paper utilizes a methodological framework that draws inspiration from the work of Dr. Mark Winfield and Hugh Benevides in the Walkerton Water Inquiry. It is used to comparatively analyze the policy structures in Europe and North America for end-of-life EV batteries. I conclude that based on existing policy structures, the European Union has developed a basic framework on this issue through the implementation of the 2006 Battery Directive. The United States and Canada, with the exception of Quebec, are falling behind on the issue. Design for disassembly is explored as a potential method for alleviating the concerns with downstream effects. It also allows for the growth in markets for secondlife applications of end-of-life EV batteries. Second-life applications, where possible, are preferred to direct recycling because of the potential development of undesirable waste streams. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is explored and chosen as the preferred model for countries to hold producers responsible for the waste they generate. This model, in conjunction with an emphasis on second-life applications, can incentivize producers to design their batteries for easier disassembly, reuse and recycling.