“This transformation is well underway but requires a significant ramp up of EV battery manufacturing,” John Bozzella, CEO of the alliance, said in a statement. “How do we keep the flow of battery components moving and available in a way that is not just sustainable but creates jobs and lessens our collective reliance on foreign minerals?”
Bozzella continued: “That’s the purpose of our new policy framework. Anticipating the coming challenges and supply chain demands, the auto industry came together with a policy framework under which manufacturers, suppliers and policymakers would reuse, repurpose and recycle EV batteries and put in place the conditions for a comprehensive approach to realize a net-zero carbon transportation future.”
Specifically, the policy framework assigns responsibility for EVs that are still in service and the battery is within warranty, for EVs that are still in service and the battery is outside of warranty, and for EVs that have reached their end of life.
The framework also calls for necessary “safety net” legislation and regulation, such as requiring automakers to be responsible during the lithium ion battery warranty period for transferring end-of-life EV batteries to a qualified facility to be refurbished, repurposed or recycled.
The alliance also suggests applying penalties to responsible parties if they do not follow steps outlined in the framework for properly reusing, repurposing or recycling the batteries.