The Year Ahead
Old EV Batteries Look Like a Gold Mine for Dogged Entrepreneurs
Dismantling them to recover cobalt, lithium, and nickel could limit the environmental impact of car manufacturing. But for now it’s still a money-losing endeavor.
Cellphones wait to be recycled at Redwood Materials in Carson City, Nev.
Photographer: Max WhittakerThis article is for subscribers only.
Electric vehicles have been coming for more than a decade; now they are starting to go as well.
Like wind turbines and nuclear fuel rods, car batteries don’t last forever. Today, 13 years after the 2008 Tesla Roadster made its debut, a first generation of EVs is nearing retirement. The cars, and their 1,000-pound battery packs, are creating a mountain of electronic scrap.