“For a closed loop battery recycling system to work, the car...

“For a closed loop battery recycling system to work, the car manufacturers will have to lease their cars to consumers or offer significant trade-in options to guarantee the batteries are ultimately returned.”

If it were the case that the drive to a closed loop/circular economy LIB value chain were to be only decided upon by car manufacturers’ strategic decisions or backward governments like our own, that might be true. I know there are some quarters in which the conventional wisdom is that governments should mandate nothing and producers and consumers should have absolute, unfettered freedom of choice in a “can-do capitalism” world; including the right to chuck spent batteries in the river if that is their choice.

But in the real world of Europe where HNR, NMT and CM will be operating, there is very serious consideration being given to regulatory frameworks for batteries that include mandated battery collection and recovery targets and recycled battery metal content in new batteries which, when implemented will be very substantial by 2030.

Indeed, the European Parliament has produced a handy little briefing about what might be coming down the regulatory road for LIB recycling in the EU: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2021/689337/EPRS_BRI(2021)689337_EN.pdf

Full value chain carbon accounting for EVs including metals mining and battery production also makes LIB recycling a no brainer. There is a stupid article in today’s Australian newspaper by Little Chris Kenny who is somehow trying to argue that we should stick with ICE vehicles because EVs only become carbon neutral after about 30,00km. I have no idea where he gets his facts from (his arse probably) but there is some truth in the argument. But only if you assume no LIB recycling and all scrap and waste batteries will end up in landfill. Little Chris and many others no doubt wince at the thought of mandates but they are coming. Perhaps not in Australia though; we remain a lucky country run by second rate people who share its luck. For this reason I think HNR/NMT holders will require less luck than LIT/Envirostream holders. IMO only and obviously others will do their own research and come to their own conclusions.