Material Cycles for Traction Batteries - Raw material potential of battery recycling in the automotive industry and options for meeting extended producer responsibility in Europe

In collaboration with Agora Verkehrswende, the GRS Batterien Foundation has commissioned the Öko-Institut to conduct a comprehensive study to analyse the development of value chains and material cycles for electric vehicle traction batteries. Whereas the focus is on the EU, these results are additionally compared with the value chains on a global scale. The study analyses in detail the challenges that European manufacturers and distributors face in global competition when it comes to closing material cycles and gaining access to valuable resources on competitive terms. An analysis of optional business models/system structures for vehicle manufacturers or producer responsibility organisations for the collection and recycling of traction batteries and an evaluation of these models completes the study. The recommendations for action based on the investigations are aimed at the manufacturers and associations concerned as well as at politicians and statutory standardisers.