A study has found that strategies to cut demand for batteries themselves may be more effective than improving manufacturing processes to reduce greenhouse gases generated in electric-vehicle battery production. Key measures include using batteries for longer and avoiding unnecessarily large capacities.

According to IT outlet Ars Technica on Oct. 19, the research team led by Hiway Zhou at the University of Melbourne analysed greenhouse-gas emissions from lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS) through 2050.

The researchers estimated that emissions tied to battery production currently account for about 0.18 percent of annual global greenhouse-gas emissions. They forecast that as EV and ESS adoption expands, battery demand could increase by up to 20 times by 2050 and supply-chain emissions could rise about 10 times.

Proposed ways to cut emissions include improving energy efficiency in mining and refining, adopting environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and expanding recycling of used batteries. With these supply-chain improvements, the carbon footprint per battery could be cut 34 percent by 2050, and cumulative reductions from 2024 to 2050 were estimated at 3.5 to 4.7 billion tonnes in carbon dioxide equivalent.

But strategies to reduce battery demand had a bigger reduction effect. Using EV batteries for the average lifespan of a vehicle could reduce replacement demand and cut new battery demand by 29 percent. Curbing growth in average battery capacity, driven by preferences for large vehicles and long-distance driving, could further reduce demand by 23 percent. Expanding ride-sharing services was analysed as reducing demand by about 10 percent, while reusing EV batteries in ESS after use could cut demand by about 8 percent.

The researchers estimated that these demand-management strategies could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 6.0 to 7.2 billion tonnes from 2024 to 2050. That would be larger than reductions achieved only through improvements in manufacturing and recycling processes.

The forecast is based on future scenarios from the International Energy Agency (IEA), and actual reductions may vary depending on battery technology and the pace of adoption. The researchers stressed they were not calling for giving up battery use, but for reducing required production volumes by extending battery life and designing appropriate capacities.