Batteries
Industry anxious about mandatory recycling targets in EU battery law
Requiring companies to use recycled metals in new electric vehicle batteries is necessary to prevent manufacturers from opting for cheaper, freshly mined virgin materials, the EU says. Still, the automotive sector, battery makers and the mining industry are all anxious about the upcoming EU battery regulation.
Mining industry warns against Europe’s drive for raw material ‘autonomy’
Relying solely on raw materials sourced within Europe could incentivise the use of cheaper, non-recyclable batteries, increasing the need to mine virgin materials to power electric vehicles, industry has said.
Sustainable sourcing of battery raw materials
EV batteries are critical to achieving the EU´s climate change targets. Europe has therefore set itself the ambitious goal of establishing - within a very short time frame - a complete and competitive electric vehicle battery value chain.
Simona Bonafè MEP: Recovery of raw materials is cornerstone of EU battery law
The European Commission has proposed new standards which would make batteries produced and sold in Europe the greenest in the world. MEP Simona Bonafè spoke to EURACTIV about the EU's battery regulation and the future of battery production in Europe.
Brussels defends EU battery law against charges from car industry
The European Commission has brushed off industry criticism that the upcoming EU battery regulation could raise the cost of electric vehicles, arguing that prices will fall thanks to increased manufacturing capacity ushered in by EU policies.
EU aims to dethrone Asia as world’s battery powerhouse
Brussels plans to wrest the title of global electric vehicle battery leader from Asia by supercharging Europe’s battery production and imposing strict green criteria that will make European products the de facto global standard.
Responsible sourcing: The case of batteries
An industry that is particularly susceptible to the issue is battery manufacturing, as it is largely dependent on critical raw material imports. In the past few years, stakeholders have highlighted supply chain risks related to raw materials in batteries, comprising environmental, social and governance risks.2.12.0.0
European battery law will set global standard for the car industry, EU says
Proposed EU legislation to ensure materials for batteries are sourced ethically and sustainably will push up global standards, making Europe a "trailblazer" in the field, the European Commission has said.
Swedish electric carmaker Polestar to go public
Electric car maker Polestar, controlled by Sweden's Volvo Cars and its Chinese owner Geely, said on Monday (27 September) it plans to go public in a stock market debut that could value it at around $20 billion (€17 billion).
Opel battery cell plant to get $500m German grant
Opel will receive a €437 million government grant for its battery cell factory in Kaiserslautern, Germany's economy ministry said on Thursday (2 September), as part of a wider European initiative to create a homegrown battery industry.
‘Game-changer’ for geothermal energy as UK plant unlocks vast supply of lithium
A geothermal power plant in the UK has discovered the highest concentration of lithium ever found in geothermal fluid, opening the door to a new business model for the renewable energy source.
EU signals end of internal combustion engine by 2035
Sales of new cars and vans that produce carbon emissions will be banned as of 2035, proposals tabled by the European Commission revealed on Wednesday (14 July), a move which all but guarantees that the era of the internal combustion engine (ICE) is drawing to a close in the EU.
EU, Ukraine sign ‘strategic partnership’ on raw materials
Kyiv will be invited on Tuesday (13 July) to join EU industrial alliances on batteries and raw materials, with a view to develop an entire value chain of the extraction, refining and recycling of minerals in Ukraine to supply the EU market for electric cars and digital equipment.
VW, Daimler, Volvo team up to build truck chargers
The truck manufacturing units of Volkswagen, Daimler and Volvo announced Monday (5 July) they will team up to build a network of 1,700 charging points for heavy-duty vehicles in Europe using green electricity.
Europe powers up electric car battery drive
As electric car sales soar, Europe has started to build up its capacity to produce batteries on the continent but it remains far from reducing its dependence on Asia.
Rare earth metals at the heart of China’s rivalry with US, Europe
What if China were to cut off the United States and Europe from access to rare minerals that are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines and drones?
Brussels in balancing act to gain EU support for battery regulation
The European Commission’s proposed battery regulation was alternatively branded too ambitious or too restricting at a meeting of EU environment ministers Thursday (11 June), highlighting the gap between the 27 member states on the issue.
Five steps the EU can take to create a circular economy for cars
While vehicles provide economic and societal benefits, they come with a sizeable carbon footprint. The European Green Deal is a chance for car manufacturers to make their processes more circular, write Maya Ben Dror and Tilmann Vahle.
France wants faster implementation of EU batteries regulation
France is eager “to get results quickly” on the EU's proposed battery regulation and would even like the implementation schedule to be brought forward by a year, which would take it to 2024, France’s ecological transition ministry told EURACTIV France.
Brussels promises new EU legislation for end-of-life vehicles in 2022
The European Commission will come forward at the end of 2022 with a proposal to remove the most polluting end-of-life vehicles from EU roads, European Green Deal Commissioner Frans Timmermans said on Thursday (10 June).
Mining is wreaking havoc – better recovery of battery metals will help
The EU’s proposed new standards for sustainable batteries are an opportunity to move away from destructive mining. The right policy measures can make the system more circular and avoid the mistakes of the past, write Benjamin Hitchcock Auciello and Alex Keynes.
Recycling firms urge EU to raise used battery collection goal
Leading companies in the waste management sector have called on EU lawmakers to revise a draft regulation on sustainable batteries to increase the target for used battery collection and to make it mandatory for battery producers to use recycled content in their production cycles.
Commission’s ‘ambitious’ green battery proposal criticised during Council debate
EU countries expressed concern Thursday (18 March) that the European Commission’s sustainable battery proposal sets unworkable targets and deadlines and would increase bureaucratic costs for battery producers, raising the prospect that the legislation will require significant changes before entering into law.
Europe has overtaken China on electric cars. Three roadblocks stand in the way
Europe had a strong head start in electric cars in 2020, but the roadblocks of weak regulation, road cap-and-trade system and – above all – detour into e-fuels all stand in the way of Europe's ambition on zero emissions mobility, writes Julia Poliscanova.