Circularity and life cycle environmental impact assessment of batteries for electric vehicles: Industrial challenges, best practices and research guidelines

Circular economy (CE) strategies, aimed at reducing resource consumption and waste generation, can help mitigate the environmental impacts of battery electric vehicles (BEV), thereby providing a more efficient alternative to petrol-fuelled vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are commonly used in BEV because their higher performance than that benchmarks. However, how analyse CE innovations through life-cycle assessment (LCA) savings relate different strategies remain unclear. Therefore, purpose this study was i) identify characterise most studied thus far LCA studies on vehicle batteries, ii) evaluate reasons behind variability between LIB with chemistries, iii) provide guidelines for development robust by integrating management scenarios. The results showed LCA-supported have not been sufficiently explored literature, causing methodological choices research outcomes. While recycling dominant topic contemplated 80% analysed studies, other such as upgrading or remanufacturing, received little attention. normalised varied from 4400 kg CO2 eq. 55,000 based several factors subject practitioners’ choices, chemistry considered, impact method applied, available inventories used, scenario analysed. determining sustainability were provided findings.