China Cracks Down on EV Battery Recycling, Scrapped Cars Must Keep Batteries

China is taking a major step to manage the mountains of old electric vehicle (EV) batteries piling up across the country. 

Starting April 1, 2026, new rules called the “Interim Measures for the Management of Recycling and Comprehensive Utilization of Retired Power Batteries of NEVs” will require all EV batteries to stay with the car when it’s scrapped. 

The move aims to make recycling safer, more efficient, and easier to track.

EV battery recycling hasn’t been easy. The process has faced problems like fire risks, high costs, and messy disassembly due to non-standardized designs. 

But China, as the world’s biggest EV producer, is pushing the industry forward. Some local companies can already recover over 96% of lithium and almost 100% of nickel, cobalt, and manganese from old batteries.

To make the system work, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and other authorities have set up a national technical committee to standardize recycling. 

They’ve created a national information platform to track each battery through its entire life which include production, sales, repair, replacement, dismantling, recycling, and reuse. This ensures no battery disappears into the black market or ends up being dumped illegally.

The rules also push manufacturers to use low-toxic, recyclable materials and assign a unique ID to each battery. 

EV makers and importers must submit technical details about their batteries’ disassembly and recycling process soon after getting mandatory certifications, and keep regulators updated with sales dates and battery codes.

Every EV battery maker, importer, or seller must now set up recycling service stations, advertise their contact info, and accept all retired batteries for proper recycling. 

Battery swapping companies and service providers are required to hand over old batteries to certified recycling centers or manufacturers’ facilities. No one can process retired batteries without legal approval.

The numbers are massive. Experts predict that by 2030, China will face 1 million tons of retired EV batteries. Last year alone, the country’s battery recycling market hit 558 billion yuan. 

Brunp Recycling, affiliated with CATL, is currently leading the pack, recycling over 50% of EV batteries in China with a capacity of 120,000 tons.

The new rules are designed to boost recycling capacity while keeping it under control, ensuring environmental safety and making the industry more sustainable. 

By holding manufacturers responsible for their batteries, China hopes to create more recycling stations, better technology, and a fully traceable system, setting an example for the global EV industry.

Source: CarNewsChina.