STEM与日常科技·英语30篇（1）

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电动车电池回收：挑战与进展

Most electric vehicle batteries last 8–15 years, but recycling them remains technically complex and economically uneven.
Lithium-ion batteries contain valuable metals like cobalt, nickel, and lithium, which are costly to mine anew.
Current recycling methods include pyrometallurgy (high-heat smelting) and hydrometallurgy (chemical leaching), each with different recovery rates.
Only about 5% of EV batteries were recycled globally in 2022, though new laws now mandate higher collection targets.
Battery design varies widely between manufacturers, making standardized disassembly and sorting difficult for recyclers.
Startups are developing robotic systems that safely dismantle packs and extract modules using AI-guided vision.
Some automakers now lease batteries instead of selling them, enabling direct return and refurbishment cycles.
Second-life applications—like using retired EV batteries for home energy storage—extend usefulness before final recycling.
Regulations in the EU and California now require producers to fund and manage end-of-life battery collection networks.
Scaling up efficient, low-emission recycling is vital to avoid future mining pressure and support sustainable EV growth.