Non-renewable Lithium...Fact.

garyemunson wrote:
This entire thread should be deleted as it is based on the right wing talking point of "EVs bad!". The statement "can't be recycled" is totally false. Many companies have started successful recycling programs and here in Nevada where I live, lithium mining by evaporating salts is big business utilizing the old "poison waterholes" from old Western movies to get some use out of lifeless, desolate wasteland area. Myself, I have been driving electric over 7 years now, the last two getting fueled for free from our rooftop solar. The carbon industry is scared to death of electric vehicles wiping away their livelyhood and so are car dealers as, like I can assure you from my personal use, maintainance and repair of electric vehicles is a tiny fraction of that of petroleum cars. Most electric cars never get their brakes replaced unless parts rust off from age.

While it IS "possible" to "recycle" (as in fully break down a Lith battery to the basic components and purity) the problem is to do so IS prohibitively EXPENSIVE to do so.

To break down all of the components to their purest form that is required takes considerable amount of more energy than just digging up new raw material and processing it to a ready usable product.

This is where old fashioned Lead Acid batteries shine, they are easy to break down, reprocess and make new batteries from without adding a drop of lead to them.

NOBODY is going to be willing to pay MORE for a vehicle or battery which is tagged as "RECYCLED" or contains "RECYCLED CONTENT". The cost will be much higher than a new battery..

My suspicion is majority of EV owners will not ever consider repairing their car when it breaks or when the battery fails, instead they are going to treat it just like they do with pretty much their Iphones, TVs and other items..

It will be traded in for a "new" model, the old one will simply be sent directly to the scrap yard. It is nothing more than an "appliance".

Just because it can be made, does not mean it is environmentally friendly..

Folks now days demand having the newest, latest, greatest things with more bells buzzers and whistles to break..

How about just a SIMPLE, no frills basic vehicle which does not cost so much you have to put it on a 20 yr payment plan? I don't need a self driving car, I don't need internet in my car, I don't need a game console in my car, I don't need a 360 camera in my car.. Four wheels, brakes, motive power, steering wheel and a seat and a simple body with some heat and AC for comfort.

The sad thing is 10, 20, 30 yrs or more our grandkids and their grand kids will be left with to deal with heaps and heaps of these so called "environmentally friendly" worn out EV batteries littering the earth when discarded.