How India Handles Used EV Batteries: Gaps, Risks, and What Must Change
You’ve heard all about EV battery range, fast charging, and lifespan. But here’s the question no one asks loud enough what happens when your EV battery gets old?
As EV adoption grows across India, so does something few are tracking battery waste.
A typical EV battery weighs:
- 15-30 kg in a scooter
- 150-500 kg in a car
After 6-10 years of use, these massive packs can’t be thrown in the trash. Without proper recycling, they turn into hazardous e-waste quietly piling up behind garages, dealerships, and scrapyards.
India has a chance to get ahead of this crisis. But time is short, and the system isn’t ready.
1. Why You Can’t Just Throw Away an EV Battery in India
EV batteries aren’t like old phone chargers or small alkaline cells.
They contain:
- Lithium, cobalt, nickel chemically active and toxic
- Flammable electrolytes risk of fire or explosion if mishandled
- Heavy metal compounds that can leach into soil and water
According to Indian regulations, used EV batteries are hazardous waste.
But the reality on the ground is different:
- Most roadside garages or local scrap shops don’t know how to handle them
- Some batteries are stripped for copper or resale, with the rest discarded unsafely
- Fires and toxic leaks have already been reported in informal junkyards
If these packs land in the wrong place, they don’t just sit quietly they pose a serious environmental and safety threat.
2. What EV Battery Recycling Actually Looks Like
When done properly, recycling EV batteries is scientific, labor-intensive work.
Here’s what happens:
Step 1: Collection and Testing
- Battery is removed safely, checked for remaining charge and hazards
Step 2: Dismantling
- Cells, wiring, and control systems are disassembled manually or robotically
Step 3: Metal Recovery
Two major methods:
- Hydrometallurgy – Uses chemical solvents to extract valuable materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel
- Pyrometallurgy – Burns the battery in controlled conditions to smelt out metals
The goal is to recover up to 90% of usable materials for reuse creating a closed-loop system where new batteries are made from old ones.
But this requires:
- Proper facilities
- Trained workers
- Environmental controls
All of which India is just beginning to scale.
3. India’s Recycling Readiness: How Far Have We Come?
As of 2025, India has very limited EV battery recycling capacity.
A few players are leading early efforts:
- Attero Recycling (Noida) – Hydrometallurgical processing
- Lohum (Greater Noida) – Reuse + recovery model
- Tata Recycle Hub (Mumbai) – OEM-backed safe disposal
- MG, Ola, Ather – Starting in-house collection programs
But overall:
- Most old batteries are stockpiled, not processed
- Informal sector often attempts dangerous dismantling
- Rural and Tier 2/3 cities have zero collection infrastructure
The Ministry of Environment (MoEFCC) and CPCB have issued draft guidelines, but implementation is still weak.
No large-scale nationwide recycling chain exists yet.
4. EV Battery Recycling – Why India Must Act Now
India’s EV push needs a recycling backbone or we risk solving one pollution problem while creating another.
Here’s what must happen quickly:
- Mandatory return policies when batteries are replaced, scrapped, or sold
- Consumer and dealer incentives for safe battery returns
- OEM accountability battery makers must track and collect their packs
- Massive investment in recycling tech, skilled labor, and facility expansion
- Clear tracking systems similar to e-waste returns or LPG cylinder logs
- Battery lifecycle integration into dealership, service, and charging workflows
If these steps aren’t taken soon, we’ll be staring at thousands of tonnes of toxic waste with nowhere to go.
5. What You Can Do as an EV Owner in India
If you’re an EV user or planning to become one, here’s how you can be part of the solution:
- Never hand your used battery to an informal scrap dealer even if they offer money
- Use your EV brand’s official service center many are setting up take-back programs
- Ask about end-of-life support before buying “How do you handle battery disposal?”
- Track your battery health via app or service records makes resale and disposal easier
- Push for responsibility ask your local dealer or RTO about battery waste systems
Your battery may last 8 years but when it’s done, where it goes next should be your concern, too.
6. India’s EV Growth Must Include Battery Recycling
| Topic | Current Status in India |
|---|---|
| Disposal laws | Classified as hazardous waste under e-waste rules |
| Infrastructure | Limited to a few formal recyclers (Attero, Lohum, Tata) |
| Informal risk | Unsafe dismantling, fires, toxic waste |
| What needs fixing | Collection policies, tracking, OEM accountability |
| What users can do | Return via brand service, avoid informal channels, track battery health |
EVs are transforming transportation in India, but without effective battery disposal systems, we risk creating a different waste problem.
India can tackle this challenge through planning, investment, and awareness from the government, industry, and the public. An EV is only truly eco-friendly if its battery doesn’t become a long-term issue.
