Designing a Reverse Logistics Network for Electric Vehicle Battery Collection, Remanufacturing, and Recycling

The growing concern about climate change and increased carbon emissions has promoted the electric vehicle market. Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) are now the prevailing technology in electromobility, and large amounts will soon reach their end-of-life (EoL). Most counties have not designed sustainable reverse logistics networks to collect, remanufacture and recycle EoL electric vehicle batteries (EVBs). This study is focused on estimating the future EoL LIBs generation through dynamic material flow analysis using a three parameter Weibull distribution function under two scenarios for battery lifetime and then designing a reverse logistics network for the region of Attica (Greece), based on a generalizable modeling framework, to handle the discarded batteries up to 2040. The methodology considers three different battery handling strategies such as recycling, remanufacturing, and disposal. According to the estimated LIB waste generation in Attica, the designed network would annually manage between 5300 and 9600 tons of EoL EVBs by 2040. The optimal location for the collection and recycling centers considers fixed costs, processing costs, transportation costs, carbon emission tax and the number of EoL EVBs. The economic feasibility of the network is also examined through projected revenues from the sale of remanufactured batteries and recovered materials. The resulting discounted payback period ranges from 6.7 to 8.6 years, indicating strong financial viability. This research underscores the importance of circular economy principles and the management of EoL LIBs, which is a prerequisite for the sustainable promotion of the electric vehicle industry.