Solve for X: Innovations to Change the World

The electric afterlife: What are we going to do with all those EV batteries?

Episode Summary

The future of the automobile is electric. Yet the surge in electric vehicles raises critical concerns regarding battery creation, disposal and recycling. What will happen once all those cars reach the end of the road? In this episode of Solve for X, we address the environmental footprint of EV batteries, confront the challenges posed by the existing regulatory landscape and highlight opportunities for second-life applications. It turns out that batteries are capable of more than you might expect, and can teach us a lot about how to design for the future. Episode guests: Andy Latham, Salvage Wire; Jessica Dunn, Union of Concerned Scientists; Claus Eckbo, God's Pocket Resort; Edward Chiang, Moment Energy

Episode Notes

The future of the automobile is electric. Yet the surge in electric vehicles raises critical concerns regarding battery creation, disposal and recycling. What will happen once all those cars reach the end of the road? In this episode of Solve for X, we address the environmental footprint of EV batteries, confront the challenges posed by the existing regulatory landscape and highlight opportunities for second-life applications. It turns out that batteries are capable of more than you might expect, and can teach us a lot about how to design for the future.

Featured in this episode:

• Andy Latham is the founder and CEO of Salvage Wire, an auto recycling consultancy based in the United Kingdom. As an automotive engineer and entrepreneur, he teaches auto salvagers how to safely handle EV batteries, aiming to promote advancements in auto recycling globally.
• Jessica Dunn is a senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Her research looks at the potential of recycling and repurposing of lithium-ion batteries.
• Claus Eckbo is the owner and director of God’s Pocket Resort, an off-grid scuba lodge in British Columbia that uses repurposed EV batteries for both energy generation and storage.
• Edward Chiang is the co-founder and CEO of Moment Energy. The company’s  innovative solution converts electric vehicle batteries into sustainable energy storage systems for microgrid, commercial and industrial customers.

Further Reading:

• Canada is pouring billions of dollars into the electric vehicle industry
• Cars Are Going Electric. What Happens to the Used Batteries?
• Guiding Principles for EV Battery Recycling Policy
• God’s Pocket Scuba Diving Resort Goes Green with Moment Energy
• How old electric car batteries could power the future