Electric Vehicle Batteries Pile Up In This Country — Thousands Are Stopped, Unused, And Without Any Recycling

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 08/09/2025 at 14:15

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Experts Warn That Thousands of Electric Vehicle Batteries in the United Kingdom Remain Stockpiled with No Destination, Exposing Failures in Recycling and National Infrastructure

Thousands of electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems are accumulating in the United Kingdom. According to experts, the situation highlights significant gaps in the supply chain and recycling infrastructure of the country.

Growing Stockpile with No Destination

Up to 90% of the more than 23,500 batteries that have reached the end of their useful life are simply stored. They are neither recycled nor reused, according to estimates from the startup Altilium in partnership with recell.store, an online marketplace.

“This latent stockpile of batteries is a serious and growing problem,” said Christian Marston, CEO of Altilium.

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Origin of the Idle Batteries

The majority of the accumulated batteries come from early models of electric cars and vehicles that suffered total loss in accidents. About 30% are from energy storage projects, according to the startup.

Therefore, even though the number of electric cars at the end of their useful life is still low, the stockpile has increased significantly. The greater penetration of battery-powered vehicles has caused this volume to grow continuously.

Chris Hazell, director of Fellten, a company that repurposes batteries for storage solutions, said that the stockpiles are now at a point where recycling could become viable.

Economics That Hinder the Process

The economic issue weighs heavily. The decline in raw material prices has made recycling unattractive. Used batteries contain valuable metals, such as lithium and nickel. However, lithium prices have plummeted since 2022.

Julia Harty, from Fastmarkets, highlighted that lithium iron phosphate batteries, used in many vehicles, currently have low recycling value.

Exporting the so-called “black mass” — crushed battery material — also does not solve the problem. The process is expensive, bureaucratic, and dangerous. Lithium-ion batteries pose fire risks, making it difficult even to obtain insurance for transport.

“Batteries are expensive to dispose of and cannot go to landfills, but crushing electric vehicle packs is also costly,” stated Max Reid, an analyst at CRU.

Lack of Infrastructure in the Country

Although the United Kingdom has crushing capacity, there is no commercial refining. This means that the material must be sent abroad, increasing costs and risks.

Furthermore, industry executives blame the absence of clear regulations. A patchwork of regulations and standards hinders the progress of recycling.

“There is no governance, regulation, or process for people to follow… so the batteries simply go nowhere,” said Alan Bastey, electric vehicle specialist at Zenith, a partner of Altilium.

According to him, some batteries circulate in parallel markets, posing safety risks. Some even appear on eBay.

In another case, batteries sold to a salvage company were only in containers, deteriorating and posing environmental risks.

Electric Batteries: Automakers’ Actions

Some automakers have their own programs. Jaguar Land Rover stated that it stores used batteries in its reuse program or sends them for recycling with partners.

Nissan also collects used batteries for free, directing them for reuse or recycling.

Therefore, while some private initiatives attempt to give a proper destination to the batteries, the lack of a structured supply chain in the country still hinders a solution to the problem.

With information from Folha de São Paulo.

Electric Vehicle Batteries Pile Up In This Country — Thousands Are Stopped, Unused, And Without Any Recycling

Experts Warn That Thousands of Electric Vehicle Batteries in the United Kingdom Remain Stockpiled with No Destination, Exposing Failures in Recycling and National Infrastructure

Growing Stockpile with No Destination

Origin of the Idle Batteries

Economics That Hinder the Process

Lack of Infrastructure in the Country

Electric Batteries: Automakers’ Actions

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Electric Vehicle Batteries Pile Up In This Country — Thousands Are Stopped, Unused, And Without Any Recycling

Experts Warn That Thousands of Electric Vehicle Batteries in the United Kingdom Remain Stockpiled with No Destination, Exposing Failures in Recycling and National Infrastructure

Growing Stockpile with No Destination

Origin of the Idle Batteries

Economics That Hinder the Process

Lack of Infrastructure in the Country

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Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

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An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

China has just successfully tested the world’s first ground effect maritime vehicle, a craft that flies up to 6 meters above the water at 200 km/h, uses quantum technology and 6G communication, and can rescue patients in the middle of the ocean.

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