lithium-ion batteries | National Center for Sustainable Transportation

Battery Technologies for Current and Future Heavy-Duty and Transit Electric Vehicles

Principal Investigator Andrew Burke, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis

This research project will study battery technologies that can significantly increase the energy density to at least 500 Wh/kg or higher and reduce charging time to fifteen minutes or lower and have a cell cost to the original equipment manufacturer of $70/kWh or lower in a large battery pack (>500 kWh).

Project Status

In Progress

Capitol Hill Research Briefing - Sustaining EV Transitions: Regulations, Batteries, and Supply Chains

In this briefing, researchers from the National Center for Sustainable Transportation provided insight into policies that can help sustain the EV transition, and the implications these policies have for critical minerals, supply chains, the environment, and communities.

Jan 9, 2024 @ 12:00pm - 1:00pm
View on map
Rayburn House Building, Room 2044, 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515
Event Details

Electric vehicle lithium-ion battery recycled content standards for the US – targets, costs, and environmental impacts

Research Product Type

Associated Publication

Lithium-ion battery recycling can decrease life cycle environmental impacts of electric vehicles (EVs) and assist in securing domestic supply chains; however, the US has no policies for recycling of batteries at their end-of-life. This analysis calculates feasible RCSs for the US based on future sale projections, techno-economic assessment, life cycle assessment, and material flow analysis.

Should high-cobalt EV batteries be repurposed? Using LCA to assess the impact of technological innovation on the waste hierarchy

Research Product Type

Associated Publication

This research assesses whether the development of reduced-cobalt energy dense cathode chemistry and the use of columnar silicon thin film anode will change the currently understood waste hierarchy of lithium-ion batteries, which prioritizes reuse or repurposing prior to recycling. The assessment considers the life cycle environmental impacts of two end-of-life management routes for a high-cobalt LIB: first, recycling the battery immediately after the first use life to produce a new, and less material intensive battery, and second, repurposing the battery for a stationary storage application followed by recycling.

US-Mexico second-hand electric vehicle trade: Battery circularity and end-of-life policy implications

Research Product Type

Associated Publication

This research uses system dynamics modeling to project future electric vehicle adoption and second-hand vehicle trade between the US and Mexico.

Webinar: Insights from the New End of Life EV Battery Policy Simulator

In this webinar, NCST researcher Alissa Kendall will share insights into end-of-life management of lithium ion batteries. An integrated approach to managing these batteries is crucial to continuing the increasing adoption of electric vehicles.

What do frontline communities want to know about lithium extraction? Identifying research areas to support environmental justice in Lithium Valley, California

Research Product Type

Associated Publication

To align with the principles of environmental justice, the burdens and benefits of clean energy supply chains should be distributed equitably, with decision-making processes that empower local communities to participate. As a case study, this article analyzes public meetings about a developing lithium industry in Imperial, California, and reviews relevant literature to build a research agenda that is guided by the priorities of local stakeholders.