Bosch Develops Tool For Safer And Efficient EV Battery Recycling

Recycling on EV batteries. (Doc. Bosch)

JAKARTA - In the face of increased production of electric vehicles (EVs) in the global market, lithium-ion battery production is also increasing rapidly. However, in the coming years, these batteries will reach the end of their lifespan. Research shows that by 2030, Europe is expected to recycle about 420,000 tons of battery material per year.

Despite being seen as a simple problem, the handling of this used battery can be very dangerous, especially if the battery scale is larger. However, a German technology company, Bosch, has found a solution.

Reporting from Autocar on Monday, June 19, Bosch Rexroth has developed a tool to address the issue and has provided a system for Battery Lifecycle Company to facilitate the process of automatically releasing and dismantling batteries.

When batteries from various manufacturers arrive at company facilities in Magdeburg, Germany, the batteries will be vacated and then dismantled automatically.

These up to 150 kg battery components will go through a process of 18 meters per minute. Bosch claims that this tool is equivalent to eight empty lithium-ion batteries in less than 15 minutes.

This battery emptying process is much more efficient than a manual method that can take up to 24 hours. Using this tool, the automatic process can recognize different battery designs, thereby minimizing the risk of short circuits and fires, as well as enabling battery emptying in a matter of minutes.

This latest method is also interesting because the energy supplied from the battery is used to supply recycling systems in this process, so that energy is not wasted.

After the battery module is completely empty, the module is chemically disabled to ensure there is no remaining energy. The last stage is destroying the battery and recycling the raw materials lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

With this method, about 95% of the chemical content in the battery can be recycled and reused in the production of the new battery.