The battery is the heart of an electric vehicle (EV), allowing it to transport people and goods with drastically reduced emissions. Batteries are such an essential part of EV manufacturing that they can account for up to 40% of an electric vehicle’s total value. But what goes into creating EV batteries? And are they more sustainable than traditional transportation options?
How are EV batteries made?
While the electric car battery-manufacturing process has evolved over the years, the majority of EV and plug-in hybrid vehicles currently use lithium-ion batteries to power their engines. In many ways, the technology used to keep your smartphone charged is also the foundation for the future of transportation.
Lithium-ion batteries are an efficient source of energy, last a long time compared to other rechargeable options, and are relatively light compared to how much power they can provide, making them an ideal fit for EV use. However, EVs have different power consumption needs than consumer electronics. While the foundational technology is the same, building them to the necessary specifications is a lot more complex.
According to RMI, EV battery manufacturing consists of four main phases: Upstream, midstream, downstream, and end-of-life.
1. Upstream
The first step of how EV batteries are made involves extracting and gathering the raw materials required to manufacture them.
Nearly all lithium-ion batteries are made out of the five following “critical minerals:”
- Lithium
- Cobalt
- Manganese
- Nickel
- Graphite
Typically, these minerals are extracted from mines found all over the world, with large deposits found in areas like Africa, South America, and Australia. Some of these minerals can also be gathered by recycling previously manufactured EV batteries, though this process is currently less mature than the extraction process.
2. Midstream
The extracted minerals are sent to processing plants and refineries, which convert them into anode and cathode electrodes in galvanic cells. Many midstream companies are based out of Asia, with a vast majority of EV material processing occurring in China.
3. Downstream
Now that the minerals have been processed into galvanic cells—which produce the electricity—they’re ready to be constructed into batteries. Manufacturers place cells into modules, then combine modules into packs, which form the bulk of the overall battery. Each pack's size depends on the vehicle's type and power needs. Once fully assembled, the pack is installed into the EV for use.
4. End of life
While EV batteries have longer lifespans than traditional car batteries, there comes a point where they won’t be able to produce sufficient energy or hold a charge. The EV battery has reached the end of its life and must either be recycled or properly disposed of. Many of the components and minerals within the battery are still usable, and sending the battery off to be recycled ensures they can find new life in future EVs.
Challenges to EV battery sustainability and adoption
While EVs offer significant energy savings and emission reduction in the long term, the electric car battery manufacturing process still has room to grow even greener. Here are some challenges the industry is working on to improve EV affordability, as well as their batteries’ impact on the environment.
- Cost: One of the most significant barriers to EV adoption is their relatively high cost compared to traditional vehicles. According to J.D. Power, batteries make up a substantial portion of that cost, with a value of anywhere between $4,000 to $20,000 USD. This cost is declining as the mineral extraction process grows, matures, and becomes more efficient.
- Supply bottlenecks: Another way to bring costs down is to excavate enough minerals to meet the demand for EV batteries. As EV adoption ramps up, extraction companies are scaling their operations to prevent supply bottlenecks.
- Battery lifespan and recycling: Without proper recycling procedures, aging EV batteries have the potential to produce a lot of additional waste very quickly. Luckily, EV technology has evolved rapidly and continues to do so. Many EV manufacturers guarantee their batteries for at least eight years or 100,000 miles. Plus, modern EV battery charging technology can manage battery cycles more efficiently to help batteries last even longer. Further developments in EV battery technology will push that lifespan even longer, and more refined recycling processes will allow reusable components to be repurposed into future batteries.
- Geopolitics and human rights: The demand for minerals across the global marketplace poses significant challenges for humanely extracting these resources. For example, nearly all of the worldwide cobalt supply lies within the Democratic Republic of Congo, and its extraction may include low-wage and child labor. World governments and EV companies throughout the supply chain must collaborate to make mineral extraction and component manufacturing more sustainable through legislation and economic pressure.
- Environmental impact: Currently, the EV battery manufacturing process makes up nearly two-thirds of EV production's total greenhouse gas emissions. Much of these emissions occur during the extraction and refining process. While the energy savings of EVs outpace these emissions over time, additional work to reduce EV manufacturing’s carbon footprint is still underway.
A necessary challenge to tackle for the future of the planet
Overcoming the challenges of EV battery manufacturing is essential to maximizing the environmental impact of electric vehicle adoption. Doing so soon is vital, as 67% of the global population believes that climate change is a “very serious issue” and is looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
As adoption rates continue to climb, EV adoption and technology optimization will become a growing concern for manufacturers and charging network operators.
