End of Life Electric Vehicle Battery Policy Simulator: A Dynamic Systems, Mixed-methods Approach

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) powered by lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is a key mechanism for achieving environmental targets for greenhouse gas and air pollution mitigation in the transport sector. Yet, the potential impacts of producing and disposing of these batteries and the risks of resource constraints affecting the availability of materials required for their production has started to focus attention on the need for advancing policy, infrastructure, and technology required for robust and environmentally preferable LIB end-of-life management. Given the weak economics and an uncertain future regulatory environment for LIB reuse and recycling, swift policy intervention is required for sustainable and safe end-of-life treatment of LIBs. This research proposes to develop a dynamic systems model that integrates the economic, environmental and social factors that shape the reverse logistics process and the economics of reuse and recycling to develop robust policies for LIB end-of-life management. The model will consider reuse and recycling in the context of rapidly growing in-use stocks that include a diverse set of battery chemistries and architectures, will characterize environmental impacts and costs using life cycle methods, and will employ a mixed methods research approach incorporating qualitative research on stakeholders in the vehicle afterlife ecosystem.

• Record URL:
  https://ncst.ucdavis.edu/project/end-life-ev-battery-policy-simulator-dynamic-systems-mixed-methods-approach

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $254182
• Contract Numbers:

  DOT 69A3551747114

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616
• Project Managers:

  Iacobucci, Lauren

• Performing Organizations:

  National Center for Sustainable Transportation

  University of California, Davis
  Davis, CA  United States 

  University of California, Davis

  1 Shields Ave
  Davis, California  United States  95616
• Principal Investigators:

  Kendall, Alissa

• Start Date: 20201001
• Expected Completion Date: 20230331
• Actual Completion Date: 20240222
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Battery parts; Electric vehicles; Environmental impacts; Life cycle analysis; Lithium batteries; Policy; Recycling; Resource utilization; Zero emission vehicles
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01741934
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Sustainable Transportation
• Contract Numbers: DOT 69A3551747114
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 7 2020 3:54PM