China may achieve circular economy in EV batteries before EU, US: Study

Researchers have predicted that China could achieve a circular economy in electric vehicle batteries before Europe and the US.

They said that 2059 onwards, China will be able to employ recycling to meet its own demand for primary lithium for electric vehicles, obtained through mining.

However, Europe and the US will not achieve this feat until after 2070, the scientists from the University of Mnster, Germany, said.
They conducted an analysis to find when the demand for the three most important raw materials for batteries — lithium, cobalt and nickel – could be met entirely through recycling in Europe,