Questions re: batteries actually being used for electric and hybrid cars: Please answer as many as you can.?

Question

1) What types of batteries are being used?
2) What are their anticipated useful lives? (Each type)
3) How is each type recycled or how is disposal accomplished after their useful life has expired?

Answer 1

1) Hybrids use nickel metal hydride (NiMh) batteries

http://www.hybridsynergydrive.com/en/battery.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_metal_hydride_battery#Applications

Some smaller electric vehicles use sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries:

http://zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=188

And the better electric vehicles use lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries:

http://zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=4560
http://www.teslamotors.com/engineering/how_it_works.php

Lithium ion is the future of both hybrids and electric cars. Toyota was hoping to move to Li-ion batteries in the 2008 Prius, but they weren't prepared with the battery technology yet, and will hopefully make the switch for the 2009 model.

2) The Prius NiMh batteries are designed to last the lifetime of the car. None have been replaced since the car came out in 1997. The battery is under warranty for 10 years and 150,000 miles in California (8 and 100,000 elsewhere). I presume this is standard for NiMh batteries.

SLA batteries have a shorter lifespan. I haven't found any information about the lifetime of the Xebra battery linked above or any similar, but I have researched electric bicycle batteries. In those a SLA will last 150-300 charges and a NiMh will last 500, so and SLA electric vehicle battery will probably last about 5 years.

Lithium ion batteries last a very long time. In electric bicycles they last 800+ charges. The ZAP-X Crossover above claims the battery will last 9000 charges, and each charge will go up to 350 miles, so that's far beyond t he lifetime of the car.

3) I linked the recycling for the NiMh Prius battery in your previous question:

http://www.toyota.com/about/environment/technology/2004/hybrid.html

Lead acid batteries have been around for a long time, so a recycling system for them has been long available:

"The various parts of the lead-acid batteries are recycled. The sulfuric acid is purified and recycled. The lead plates are melted, refined, and recycled. The plastic case is shredded and recycled."

http://p2library.nfesc.navy.mil/P2_Opportunity_Handbook/2_II_7.html

Li-ion are also commonly recycled, but I haven't found any details on how it's done.

http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/

Answer 2

The current favorite is lithium hydride.

Depending on use, they can last several years, ie as long as most people own their cars.

They're recycled like everything else. You separate out the pieces and use them as raw materials to manufacture new batteries. Toyota has been doing it for years. They pay for the old batteries to be sure they get recycled.

When we have more cars with batteries, you can be sure that the recycling process will get very sophisticated.

Answer 3

3.) I have heard that the disposal method for the hybrid batteries are not the most environmentally friendly method.....I do not know what the method is though