Recycled and Ready: EV Batteries Get a Second Life

WPI scientists recover 92% of metals from used EV batteries in a cleaner, cheaper process.

29 Jul 2025

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method for recycling electric vehicle batteries that significantly improves recovery rates of key metals while reducing energy use and emissions.

The process, which avoids several energy-intensive steps used in traditional recycling, recovers more than 92 per cent of critical metals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese. Batteries made using the reclaimed materials matched the performance of those produced with newly mined inputs, according to lab results.

“This is about closing the loop,” said Professor Yan Wang, who led the research team. “We’re showing it’s possible to recycle batteries efficiently without sacrificing performance or sustainability.”

The new technique cuts energy consumption by nearly 9 per cent and reduces associated carbon emissions by about 14 per cent when compared with conventional recycling.

The development comes as electric vehicle adoption in the US continues to rise and policymakers seek to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals. Traditional battery recycling remains expensive and carbon-intensive, with multiple stages required to isolate usable materials. The WPI process simplifies this by eliminating several of those steps, thereby lowering operational costs and retaining material integrity.

Companies such as Redwood Materials and American Battery Technology Company are expanding capacity as the federal government pushes to develop a homegrown battery ecosystem. Incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act are supporting this effort, with billions of dollars allocated for clean energy infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

A key challenge remains the reliable collection and sorting of spent batteries. However, with EV sales growing and federal support increasing, industry leaders say market conditions are improving.

The US Department of Energy has called for increased recycling capacity as part of its wider strategy to reduce reliance on imported materials and bolster clean energy resilience.

While the WPI method remains in the pilot stage, researchers say its scalability and compatibility with existing systems make it a strong candidate for commercial use.