There is alarm in Italy over car-related batteries. Launching it is Interzero, a circular economy consulting firm and service group that also collects spent lithium batteries nationwide. Given the average lifespan of a lithium battery ( 8-10 years ) in relation to the vehicles on the road in Italy that mount it, there will be about 9.2 million batteries to be disposed of in Italy within 8 years, according to Interzero. This is a high number and one that becomes even more to pay attention to when we talk about the economic aspect: according to the report, 11.5 billion euros will be needed, at current cost, for disposal.
Types of lithium batteriesInterzero points out in the study that there are at least ten types of lithium batteries each with its own peculiarities ( and relative treatment price ).
The most significant lithium consumption is absorbed by the auto market. In 2023, 1,287,827 cars were registered in Italy equipped with a battery that will one day have to be disposed of. Not only cars, lithium batteries are needed for several electrified vehicles. By 2024, vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries are estimated as follows: 200 thousand for pure electric cars, about 150 thousand for plug-in hybrid cars, about 1.35 million for mild hybrid and full hybrid cars ( of these 1 million for the former category ), about 2 million for e-bikes, and about 100 thousand for electric scooters. The total number of vehicles is about 4.3 million by 2024.
The average weight of a lithium-ion battery is about 250 kg: ranging from 540 kg for the Tesla Model S battery to 40 kg for the Honda Insight. Treatment of lithium batteries would recover quantities of cobalt, nickel, lithium, copper and aluminum that would no longer be mined.
