Chinese researchers say they’ve developed a method to recover nearly all the lithium from used electric vehicle batteries, a potential step forward for an industry racing to reduce mining dependence.
A study published in the German academic journal Angewandte Chemie reports recovery rates of 99.99% for lithium, along with 97% of nickel, 92% of cobalt, and 91% of manganese from a used battery. The process, called “neutral leaching,” also avoids harsh chemicals, which they say improves safety and lowers environmental impact.
In lab tests, the method separated out the desired battery materials in about 15 minutes.
Current recycling techniques often rely on amino acids. The study team used glycine, the simplest stable amino acid, combined with a follow-up step to prevent unwanted chemical reactions once the lithium and other metals were extracted.
Laboratory results don’t always translate to commercial-scale operations. But battery recycling has drawn serious interest from automakers trying to dodge the rising cost and environmental toll of mining fresh raw materials.
Toyota and Redwood Materials expand recycling ties
Toyota announced a partnership with Redwood Materials, the battery-recycling firm founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, back in 2022. The following year, the two companies expanded that agreement. The goal: use batteries from hybrids like the Prius to supply material for future EV batteries once those vehicles reach the end of their useful lives.
Other automakers — including BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen Group’s VW and Audi brands — have also signed on with Redwood. The recycling company takes old batteries, breaks them down, and sends recovered metals back into the supply chain.
Still, the vehicle fleet turns over slowly. The relatively small number of EVs and hybrids currently on the road means it could be years before enough recyclable batteries accumulate to make a dent in mining demand. One 2021 report predicted the market for recycled battery materials won’t really heat up until around 2030.
That timeline gives researchers time to figure out whether methods like neutral leaching can work outside a lab. The Chinese team’s paper didn’t address cost estimates or energy requirements for scaling up, two factors that often trip up promising recycling technologies.
Glycine is cheap and widely available, which helps. But the process still requires careful control of temperature and pH levels to hit those 99.99% recovery numbers. Sloppy industrial conditions could easily lower the yield.
For now, the work adds another option to a growing list of recycling approaches. None has yet become dominant, and automakers are hedging their bets by investing in multiple methods at once. The race isn’t just about technology — it’s about timing, volume, and whether the economics can beat digging new ore out of the ground.
