Electric vehicle recycling 2020: Key component power electronics.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Engineering

Background:

• Electromobility is crucial for achieving German greenhouse gas reduction targets, necessitating a rise in electric vehicle (EV) sales.
• The increasing number of EVs will lead to a surge in end-of-life vehicles, requiring efficient recycling processes.
• Power electronics modules in EVs contain valuable precious and strategic metals, often lost in conventional recycling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an optimized recycling route for power electronics modules from electric vehicles.
• To assess the economic feasibility and environmental impact of the new recycling process compared to traditional methods.
• To ensure the practicability of the developed recycling route for series production using standardized technology.

Main Methods:

• The study focused on a novel 'WEEE recycling route' involving the disassembly of power electronics from EVs.
• These components were subsequently recycled in a dedicated Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling plant.
• Life cycle assessment was conducted to compare the environmental performance of the new route against conventional car shredding.

Main Results:

• The developed WEEE recycling route demonstrates higher recovery rates for precious and strategic metals compared to car shredder technology.
• The process is economically viable under current market conditions and raw material prices.
• Life cycle assessment indicates positive environmental outcomes for both recycling routes, with added benefits from the WEEE route.

Conclusions:

• The optimized WEEE recycling route provides a more effective method for recovering valuable materials from electric vehicle power electronics.
• This approach supports the sustainable growth of electromobility by addressing critical resource management challenges.
• The developed process is scalable for industrial application, contributing to a circular economy in the automotive sector.