China mandates EV batteries must remain with vehicles upon scrapping

By 2030, China's waste power battery volume is projected to exceed one million tons annually.Old EVs lacking power batteries should be classified as incomplete vehicles upon scrapping.(File photo shows an LFP battery. Image credit: CnEVPost)Chinese authorities require that electric vehicles (EVs) must have their power batteries retained with the vehicle upon scrapping.The requirement was outlined in a document released Friday by six government departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), to prevent discarded power batteries from entering uncontrolled channels.This comes as power batteries from EV models sold over the past years enter their capacity degradation phase and approach retirement, leading to a steady increase in discarded power battery volume. Join us on Telegram or Google News By 2030, China's waste power battery output will exceed 1 million tons annually, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.The new regulations, effective April 1, 2026, specify that China will implement full lifecycle management for waste power batteries.Under these regulations, old EVs lacking power batteries should be classified as incomplete vehicles upon scrapping. The regulations do not address how batteries should be handled for EV models supporting battery swap during scrapping.Power battery manufacturers shall bear recycling responsibilities for EV power batteries they produce or import for sale and use within China, except for batteries sold to EV manufacturers.Battery manufacturers are prohibited from refusing to accept waste power batteries transferred by enterprises engaged in power battery leasing, battery swap, and other operational services, as well as motor vehicle repair enterprises, for which they are responsible for recycling.With the rapid growth of China's EV industry, the issue of power battery disposal has drawn attention for several years.A June 2021 report by state broadcaster CCTV noted that China's retired power battery volume reached about 200,000 tons in 2020.This figure was projected to rise to about 780,000 tons in total by 2025 — four times the 2020 level, according to the report.Power batteries have a finite lifespan; once their capacity degrades to 80%, they are no longer suitable for powering vehicles. Nio signs deal with CATL to jointly develop long-life batteries CATL will also plan and develop battery systems of longer service lives for Nio's upcoming models. ($1 = RMB 6.9666)