EU passes law to make electric car batteries cleaner

(Transport and Environment, 12 Dec 2022) Battery producers will face tougher environmental and due diligence standards if they want to sell in the European market.

The impact of electric vehicle batteries on the environment and communities is set to significantly improve under a new law agreed by EU lawmakers on Friday. Green group Transport & Environment (T&E) said the Batteries Regulation is a game changer for the sourcing, production and recycling of batteries for electric cars, which are already far better for the planet than burning oil.

Battery manufacturers which want to sell in Europe will have to report the product’s entire carbon footprint, from mining to production to recycling, as early as July 2024. That data will then be used to set a maximum CO2 limit for batteries to apply as early as July 2027, ensuring that companies make them using clean energy instead of fossil fuels.

Alex Keynes, clean vehicles manager at T&E, said: “Batteries are already far more sustainable than burning oil in our cars, but they can be much better. New rules on carbon footprint, recycling and due diligence checks will mean batteries sold in Europe are the most sustainable globally, setting the standard for the rest of the world.”

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Transport and Environment, 12 Dec 2022: EU passes law to make electric car batteries cleaner