The European battery circular economy needs new business models

The EU recycling industry for lithium-ion batteries faces losses due to high transport costs and labor-intensive processes, with new EU Battery Regulation from 2031 set to increase battery pack prices by 6 percent due to mandatory recycled content quotas. A promising solution is repurposing batteries for second-life applications, which can increase economic value by 64 percent, though current business models do not adequately capture this value.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Climate Tech.