Technologies for EoL EV Batteries Recycling: Assessment and Proposals

The recycling of End-of-Life (EoL) Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries has become a critical focus due to the growing volume of EVs in production, coupled with increasing numbers of discarded batteries and environmental concerns. This paper provides an overview of current methodologies, challenges, innovations, and future perspectives for EoL EV batteries recycling. Various recycling approaches, including mechanical, pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, and direct recycling methods, are analyzed regarding their benefits and limitations. The importance of EoL EV battery recycling is discussed from the perspectives of resource preservation, reduction of energy/carbon footprint and environmental impacts, and promotion of circular economy principles. Challenges such as battery design variations, critical raw material supply, and sustainable recycling strategies are explored, along with recent advancements in sorting, disassembly, and regeneration technologies. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies into recycling processes and hence their role in supporting circular economy principles in EoL EV battery management are also examined. Future perspectives and proposals emphasize the need for industry engagement and ecosystem co-ordination, deployment of advanced technologies, standardized cloud-based tracking and analytics to provide vendor-independent upstream battery health assessment and recycling decision support, coupled with collaborative efforts to enhance the environmental sustainability and competitiveness of downstream EoL EV batteries recycling operations.