Date: 30.09.2024

We do not have clearly defined procedures on how to dispose of batteries from electric cars in an environmentally friendly way, it sounds from the scrap yards. They call for certification and more precise legislation. The state is now negotiating changes at European level.

A hydraulic hand bites into the remains of a car. A vehicle that has run its course will soon end up in a shredder and gradually be broken down into its component parts. Hundreds of cars a month are ecologically disposed of at the scrapyard in Ostrava's Vítkovice. They recycle about 90 per cent of the materials from their remains. However, it sounds from companies in the industry that they do not have state-set boundaries on how to deal with the disposal of electric cars. More specifically, the batteries that power these types of cars.

"The whole process is in its infancy. We don't have clarity on how to dispose of the cars. Our company wants to go down this route. We are looking for the right technology, but there are still a lot of questions," described Radek Pěnták, Sales Director of SPV Recycling.

The company scraps about 2,500 cars a month. In terms of ecological disposal, it is one of the leaders on the Czech market. However, question marks have been raised by other companies as well. "We have a similar experience. There are no procedures for this," said Jiří Hrych from the JH Trade scrapyard. The Teplice company processes 120 to 140 car wrecks a month. The workers send the monocoques from current cars to specialised companies for disposal.

Electric cars have been on the Czech market for a relatively short time, so they end up in scrapyards only rarely. For example, after fires on motorways, in which the fire brigade assists. The cars need to be extinguished in special containers. "However, firefighters do not dispose of electric cars or batteries. In connection with fires involving electric cars, the Fire Brigade only deals to some extent with the treatment of contaminated firefighting water. There is an obligation to dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way, " said firefighters' spokeswoman Klára Ochmanová, adding that the contaminated water goes to specialist companies.

The subsequent scrapping of the electric car in this case is the owner's responsibility. "After the vehicle is put into a safe condition, the firefighters will hand it over to the owner or operator of the vehicle by written protocol, who is then obliged to dispose of the vehicle and the battery in accordance with applicable laws, " the spokeswoman added. The management of this type of waste is regulated by the Waste Act and a clarifying decree on the management of car wrecks. "The law determines how we have to deal with different types of waste, but it does not deal with batteries from electric cars, " Pennták stressed. The company cooperates with a major car company. "We dispose of prototypes of electric cars for them. But so far without processing the batteries, which they take away themselves, " he said.

 

The rules will be adjusted

The Department of the Environment recognises that the standards will need to be adjusted. "The automotive sector is evolving dynamically and legislation will need to respond to these new trends. That is why the European Commission has presented a proposal for a regulation on the requirements for the circularity of vehicle projects, on the management of end-of-life vehicles, " said ministry spokeswoman Veronika Krejčí.

The regulation is intended to replace previous regulations. "The MoE is actively involved in the discussion of the regulation and will emphasise more emphasis on the treatment of electric vehicles, which the MoE believes should be addressed in more detail in the regulation, especially with regard to traction batteries and the link with the regulation on batteries and waste batteries, " the spokeswoman added.

According to Pentak , the state should also arrange for the certification of companies that will be able to dispose of this type of batteries from electric cars in an environmentally friendly manner. "Even this has not been addressed yet. It is a question of two to three years at most when it will need to react, because the number of electric cars with end-of-life will start to increase, " he added. However, certification is not on the cards for the current government. "The MoEF is not planning to certify the processors of end-of-life vehicles for now. We don't want to get ahead of the EU regulation that is currently being discussed, " the spokesperson responded.

The Vítkovice scrapyard is full. They recycle most materials from end-of-life cars - both base and precious metals, glass, plastics and tyres. "There is a hunger for scrap metal. We pay owners more than CZK 4,000 per tonne of car wreckage. An electric car contains much more non-ferrous metals, more electronics, gold, copper stones. The scrap will be much more valuable than a regular car," added Pěnták.

 

Complex recycling

Modern technology can fully recycle the current monocells in cars with internal combustion engines. However, the lithium-ion batteries used in today's electric cars are more complex and contain dozens of different elements. "Disposal has to be arranged for this. It also needs a special container so that the car can be put out in the event of a fire. The container alone costs around CZK 20 million. Now it is mostly only available to firefighters," Hrych said.

In the future, the Ostrava-based SPV wants to become the Czech leader in the disposal of electric cars. "We will have to recruit employees and train them. We have no idea yet what kind of machines we will need. What will happen with the disposal of electric car batteries is a big question for the future. The process of dismantling, shredding and processing continues to evolve and improve, " added Pěnták.

That is also why they want to know from the state whether the scrapyards will only be used by expert "dismantlers" or whether the state will also allow the complete disposal of modern cars and their batteries directly there . "The Ministry of Environment is actively negotiating a new regulation and will emphasize more on the processing of electric cars, which in the opinion of the ministry should be addressed in more detail in the regulation," the spokesperson Krejčí noted.