Supplementary evidence from Ken Byng, Car Takeback (ELV0136)

What would be your three most important recommendations in the area of recycling, regulation and EV end-of life waste management?

• Regulatory support (and e.g. grant funding) for the development of domestic industries for both second life use/remanufacturing of EV batteries and recovery of materials from Black Mass for use in the manufacture of new EV batteries, including ensuring resale of end of first life batteries and modules is properly regulated
• Better enforcement of the existing ELV EPR regulation around information – both public awareness of what to do with their end of life EV and the availability of information for Authorised Treatment Facilities to enable them to safely dismantle all EVs
• Better resources provided to enforcement and regulatory agencies for enforcement of regulations.

Battery/EV fire risk:

Why do some catch fire and others don't? What makes them more vulnerable to catching fire?

EVs are intrinsically safe in normal use, and fires usually occur due to battery or vehicle manufacturing faults (which tend to be recognised early on in the product life cycle and addressed by manufacturers via recalls) or serious accidents or incidents leading to significant damage to the battery

Is there more of a risk of fire than with ICE vehicles and can this risk be eliminated?

Despite what some sections of the media report, research has proven that in fact statistically EVs are less likely to catch fire than ICE vehicles. With regard to reducing risk, batteries manufactured using one of the newer battery chemistries which is growing in popularity, ‘LFP’ (Lithium iron Phosphate) are considered to be far less prone to overheating or catching fire when damaged etc. than those manufactured using the most popular chemistry used traditionally in EV batteries ‘Li-ion’ (Lithium Ion). As future battery technologies are developed and in particular ‘Solid State’ batteries, this risk will diminish even further and one of the aims of the industry is indeed to eliminate the risk altogether.