Powering the Circular Economy: The Urgency and Opportunity in Recycling EV Batteries

As the world races towards electrification, from two-wheelers to trains and grid-scale energy storage, lithium-ion batteries are taking center stage. With their unmatched performance, these batteries are not just powering vehicles—they are propelling the clean energy transition. However, with this accelerated deployment comes a pressing question: What happens when these batteries reach the end of their first life?

At LOHUM, we believe that the solution lies not just in innovation, but in sustainability. Our mission is to power the world sustainably through circular energy solutions, and at the heart of that mission is battery recycling and reuse.

The Growing Challenge of EV Battery Waste

The surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption globally is rewriting the rules of transportation. Analysts predict that by 2030, over 2 million metric tonnes of EV batteries will be retired annually, representing more than half a million vehicles per year. In India alone, where EV adoption is gaining momentum through both public and private sector support, the need for a robust ecosystem for recycling of EV batteries in India has never been more urgent.

Modern EV batteries, especially those in passenger vehicles, are expected to last between 8 to 12 years. But as this wave of first-generation EVs begins to retire, the opportunity—and responsibility—to build a closed-loop system becomes clear.

Batteries Deserve a Second Life

When a battery no longer meets the demands of high-performance EVs, it still holds considerable potential. With more than 70-80% of its capacity intact, such batteries can be refurbished or repurposed for less energy-intensive applications—such as solar energy storage, backup power, or off-grid use.

Projects like the 300 kWh second-life EV battery storage system at UC Davis in California showcase how retired vehicle batteries can serve for another 6 to 10 years in stationary roles. This model isn’t just technically viable—it is economically compelling.

At LOHUM, we are pioneering India’s most advanced second-life battery ecosystem, integrating AI-driven diagnostics, safe refurbishment, and certified performance standards to extend the battery lifecycle, reduce environmental burden, and create new market opportunities.

EV Lithium-Ion Batteries Reverse Logistics: The Hidden Backbone

Efficient recycling starts long before a battery reaches a processing facility. One of the most overlooked but vital pillars of a circular battery economy is EV lithium-ion batteries reverse logistics.

This includes the safe collection, transport, tracking, and sorting of batteries across vast geographies and complex supply chains. At LOHUM, we’ve developed a pan-India reverse logistics network, supported by smart traceability systems that ensure compliance, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

Without reverse logistics infrastructure, recycling cannot scale. With it, we unlock the flow of valuable resources and turn waste into wealth.

Revolutionizing Recycling: Beyond Black Mass

Traditional recycling processes—like pyrometallurgy—are energy intensive, costly, and environmentally taxing. They burn batteries at high temperatures (~1500°C), recovering only select metals like cobalt and nickel while losing lithium and aluminum to slag.

But there’s a smarter way.

Recent research from Worcester Polytechnic Institute reveals a new cathode recycling technique that not only maintains the integrity of the battery’s crystalline structure but also outperforms newly manufactured cathodes. By preserving engineered cathode particles and simply "topping them off" with precise elemental adjustments, this approach enhances both charge rate and lifespan.

Such innovations align with LOHUM’s proprietary recycling processes, where we extract high-purity materials through sustainable hydrometallurgy and direct cathode recycling, dramatically reducing environmental impact and production costs.

The Mineral Equation: Supply, Risk, and Opportunity

Materials like cobalt, lithium, and nickel represent nearly 50% of the cost of a lithium-ion battery. Yet their price volatility—fluctuating up to 300% in a single year—poses a major risk to battery manufacturers and OEMs.

Additionally, over 60% of the world’s cobalt is sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a region fraught with ethical and environmental concerns. Relying on virgin mining alone isn’t just unsustainable—it’s unsound business.

By recycling and reusing critical minerals, LOHUM offers a viable path to reduce raw material dependency, stabilize supply chains, and improve energy security. Our process enables the recovery of up to 95% of high-value materials, reintegrating them into the battery production ecosystem.

Policy and Infrastructure: Building the Circular Future

Countries like the U.S. and China are investing heavily in battery recycling infrastructure. California is developing mandates to ensure 100% of EV batteries sold are either reused or recycled at end of life.

In India, policy is catching up with the need. With the introduction of the Battery Waste Management Rules and incentives for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), momentum is building. But execution demands leadership.

LOHUM is proud to partner with both government and industry to develop standards, invest in recycling R&D, and expand domestic production capacity for secondary battery materials. We are not only building facilities but shaping the framework for a sustainable, scalable recycling ecosystem in India.

Toward a Billion-Dollar Circular Opportunity

As global demand for lithium-ion batteries skyrockets, the market for battery recycling and secondary material supply is expected to approach a trillion dollars in the coming decade. For India to lead, the time to act is now.

The recycling of EV batteries in India is not a side project—it’s central to our energy independence, economic growth, and environmental stewardship. With industry leaders like LOHUM driving innovation in EV lithium-ion batteries reverse logistics and closed-loop materials recovery, India has the potential to become a global powerhouse in sustainable battery manufacturing.

At LOHUM, we don’t just see discarded batteries—we see the future. And we’re building it.

Visit us at: Li-ion Battery Repurposing Technology

Originally published on: Blogger