Internal Combustion Engines are Finished

Claims that the manufacturing and recycling of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) are just as "dirty" as oil extraction definitely no longer hold water. The latest data from China and Canada prove that modern recycling processes can recover almost all valuable metals from used batteries with an efficiency that felt like science fiction just a few years ago.

While Chinese researchers report a raw material recovery rate of over 99%, on the Canadian side, car manufacturers like Nissan and their partners are already laying the foundation for a fully circular economy in the field of electromobility. The portals Electrek and Interesting Engineering brought attention to these topics.

China Introduces Game-Changing Standards

A new regulatory framework in China is playing a key role in improving recycling processes, introducing 22 national standards for the entire battery lifecycle—from manufacturing and usage to dismantling. Experts from raw material extraction, chemical processing, and the automotive industry participated in their creation. Their goal is to set uniform and strict rules to ensure that no used battery ends up in a landfill.

The results were immediate. According to CarNewsChina, companies adhering to the new standards are achieving incredible yields: up to 99.6% for nickel, cobalt, and manganese, and approximately 96.5% for lithium. These are values that were until recently considered unattainable even in the most modern Western plants. This success propels China to the forefront of the global ranking in battery recycling efficiency and suggests that a completely closed loop of manufacturing and recycling is no longer just a vision, but a real industrial model.

Canada Connects Research and Practice

A similar trend is being observed on the other side of the planet. In Canada, the car manufacturer Nissan has joined forces with the Montreal-based company Lithion Technologies to transform old batteries into new energy sources. The project uses a hydrometallurgical process with a closed-loop water system, which can recover up to 95% of battery materials and 98% of critical minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt from used cells. Unlike traditional methods that incinerate materials, Lithion uses environmentally friendly chemical processes with minimal emissions and near-zero waste.

"Together, we are helping to localize battery recycling, reduce reliance on mining, and support the growth of Canada’s clean technology sector," said Andrew Harkness, Director of Dealer Network Development and Electrification at Nissan Canada. "The partnership with Nissan is an example of the collaborations that are essential to achieving the goal of clean, safe, and efficient battery circularity," added Lithion's Vice President, Yves Noël.

The Closed-Loop of Electromobility

Lithion’s recycling plant in Saint-Bruno, Québec, is already processing used batteries and returning their materials to manufacturing. Nissan thus gains a local source of raw materials, reduces its carbon footprint, and strengthens its independence from extracting new materials. This approach fulfills the vision of a circular economy, where a battery, at the end of its life, is not a problem but a valuable resource for the next generation of electric vehicles.

The year 2025 could thus become a breakthrough period in battery recycling. China is showing that strict regulation and process standardization can work wonders, while Canada and automakers like Nissan and Hyundai are proving that clean mobility can be achieved without compromise. The world of electromobility is moving into a phase where the term "waste" ceases to make sense, and batteries are becoming a symbol of true sustainability.

Source: https://fontech.startitup.sk/