China could supply EV manufacturing boom with recycled EVs

A study led by Xin Xiong at Nanjing University suggests that China could become the primary supplier of recycled EV components to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle manufacturing over the next four decades. The research models the supply of recycled materials compared to manufacturing needs in China from 2010 to 2050, covering essential materials for batteries across various types of vehicles, including hybrid, battery-electric, and fuel-cell models.

These materials include lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, sulfur, and graphite, as well as critical components used in electric motors such as copper, neodymium, dysprosium, samarium, and cerium. Despite the challenges of cost competitiveness and shifting battery technologies, the study indicates that in the long term, recycling could become the dominant source of these crucial materials for EV production in China.