Economically viable electric vehicle lithium-ion battery recycling is increasingly needed; however routes to profitability are still unclear. We present a comprehensive, holistic techno-economic model as a framework to directly compare recycling locations and processes, providing a key tool for recycling cost optimization in an international battery recycling economy. We show that recycling can be economically viable, with cost/profit ranging from (-21.43 - +21.91) $?kWh-1 but strongly depends on transport distances, wages, pack design and recycling method. Comparing commercial battery packs, the Tesla Model S emerges as the most profitable, having low disassembly costs and high revenues for its cobalt. In-country recycling is suggested, to lower emissions and transportation costs and secure the materials supply chain. Our model thus enables identification of strategies for recycling profitability. ? 2021 The Authors

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25 June 2021

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iScience 24(7) 2021

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DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102787

https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(21)00755-0?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2589004221007550%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

This Journal article is published under the centre's Growth programme.