Info Sheet: Understanding Basics of Electric Vehicle Batteries

While most attention on EV batteries concerns minerals such as their cobalt, nickel and lithium content, the battery basics infosheet highlights that these materials make up less than half of a typical 1,000 lb battery, meaning that any discussion of material recovery must look at the fate of all 1,000 lbs, and not only those materials that form the economic incentive for recycling. Moreover, the binders or glues critical to EV battery functionality and used throughout the battery structure are manufactured with Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.” These binders pose dangerous risks to human and environmental health that must be considered in battery end-of-life, and fire-safe design alternatives must be prioritized.