In an important first step, the Department of Energy gave Toyota $4.5 million to fund its electric vehicle battery sustainability project.
One of the biggest concerns about EVs is their batteries. According to UL Research Institutes, lithium-ion batteries (which EVs are usually powered by) become electronic waste when they're disposed of, contributing to pollution and possible fires in landfills.
Lithium mining also leads to pollution. Brine extraction, which is one way battery minerals are mined, sucks up water and uses "toxic chemicals to process lithium."
Because of this, many people have reservations about using EVs. (While these concerns are valid, it should be noted that EVs are more eco-friendly than gas-powered cars, regardless of their batteries.)
In the very near future, those concerns may be completely addressed and resolved. Toyota's new project boils down to better management of EV battery waste.
The company plans on evaluating each battery component to try to extend battery life, reduce what's disposed of, and recycle parts. The goal is to do this on an industrial level.
Multiple laboratories and research centers — the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Baker Hughes' Waygate Technologies — are helping Toyota in its endeavor. They're collaborating on developing high-end tech that can swiftly analyze battery parts, speeding up the recycling process.
"By extending the life of the battery components, we reduce their total emissions per mile," Marm Dixit of ORNL told Electrek. "That's a big deal for the role EVs can play in the energy transition."
This is one of many recent advancements for EVs. In December, Mercedes-Benz partnered with startup Factorial to create state-of-the-art, long-range EV batteries. The more advancements there are with EVs, the better it'll be for the planet.
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