California, United States — If a California bill is signed into law, EV battery manufacturers—in many cases, automakers—would be responsible for the end-of-life management of electric vehicle battery units.
Section 2 of the SB 615 bill also states that “any program designed to ensure proper end-of-life management of vehicle traction batteries first strives to reuse, repair or remanufacture batteries, where possible.”
“When that is not possible,” continues the bill, “the program shall ensure that batteries are either repurposed or recycled. When a battery is no longer used in any application, the program shall ensure the batteries are recycled.”
The bill states “disposal of [EV] batteries should be discouraged and ultimately eliminated in support of achieving a circular economy.”
Section 4 of the bill further states that battery suppliers must report information regarding the sale, transfer or receipt of a vehicle traction battery to the California State Department of Toxic Substances Control and fully fund the cost of battery collection when the Department is required to handle end-of-life management.
Those who fail to comply with the bill, if it is signed into law, could be fined upwards of US$50,000 per day, or up to US$100,000 per day if the “violation is knowing or intentional.”
California State Senator Ben Allen described the current end-of-life market for EV batteries as “a bit of a wild west with no formal framework.”
According to the senator, big automotive players like Ford and unions like the United Auto Workers (UAW) have expressed support for the California bill.
California is not the first market to consider such a move. British Columbia has an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program that includes EV batteries. Under this program, producers are responsible for the collection, recycling and safe disposal of their batteries. B.C.’s EPR framework for batteries was expanded in 2021 to cover a broader range of battery types, including those used in electric vehicles, as part of the province’s commitment to reducing waste and enhancing sustainability.
Quebec had considered adding EV batteries to its existing EPR framework, which has been in use since 2011, but ultimately decided against the move. Instead, the province opted to implement the EV Battery Recovery program in June 2023, a “first of its kind” recovery program in North America.
The EV Battery Recovery Program is the result of a collaboration between vehicle manufacturers. Manufacturers have worked with Call2Recycle to develop and launch the EVBatteryRecovery.ca platform, leveraging the organization’s extensive experience in end-of-life battery management for multiple businesses and sectors across Canada.
