Hybrid Cars On The Road Not Enough

image retrieved from ecarvehicles.com

An article by James Kanter of the International Herald Tribune, the New York Times’ international edition, stands out as an example of very good reporting on a topic that does not receive much news coverage—hybrid car batteries. But instead of touting fuel-efficiencies, Kanter’s vision extends into the future and asks how the auto industry is preparing to handle these batteries once they expire. The article also does a good job at looking beyond the impact of one group—the automakers—and investigates how their decisions will impact companies involved in urban mining. In addition to this, Kanter does some extensive investigating and provides the reader with a global snapshot detailing the recycling practices of many automakers spanning several countries. All these qualities make for an in-depth, knowledgeable piece of reporting that can be hard to find in many news outlets.

The difference in reporting between this article and others on the topic of hybrid cars is established in the first couple of paragraphs:

“With fleets of electric cars starting to hit the roads, the next mother lode for salvage companies is expected to be the expensive, newfangled batteries powering them.

Yet even as automakers extol the ways these cars can benefit the environment, they are divided over how best to handle the refuse: recycle or repurpose.”

Kanter implies that getting hybrid cars on the road is good, but is not the only step.

Whereas many other articles, like this one from the NY Daily, focus on immediate impacts such as how fuel-efficient hybrid cars are, Kanter looks toward future impacts. He notes that while the surge of hybrid-car sales will spur business for companies tasked with handling the discharged batteries, the disagreement among automakers about how to best reuse them could create problems for these companies as they attempt to expand.

Kanter cites a manager of one of these companies, who sheds light on the forseeable difficulties, “Companies that do not plan for recycling face ''brand damage'' at the least, he said, and the possibility of fines and legal action if the batteries were illegally incinerated or dumped in landfills.”

image retrieved from greenliving.lovetoknow.com

The hazards of throwing these kinds of objects into the landfill are well known.

But Kanter also acknowledges the importance of laws against companies dumping these batteries, especially when it costs more to recycle them than to mine fresh resources and make brand new ones.

With these concerns in mind, Kanter then shifts his focus to the practices some automakers have decided to exercise in regards to the batteries. Recycling involves breaking down and separating the materials in the batteries, and perhaps reusing them to possibly create new ones. Other automakers are leaning towards keeping the old batteries intact, which still have some latent power, and using them in another way entirely. Kanter does not focus on just one manufacturer or country but supplies the reader with many cases.

Manufacturers like Honda and Toyota have recycling plans in place. According to the article, Toyota “began shipping some batteries from Prius models sold in the United States to Japan to take advantage of a more efficient recycling process there.”

Kanter discovers that other automakers like General Motors and Nissan are leaning towards repurposing their batteries, “They have agreements with power companies to develop ways to reuse old batteries, perhaps for storing wind or solar energy during peak generating times for later use.”

Kanter then goes on to report the viewpoints that different countries embrace.

He notes that, ”In the United States, the Energy Department has granted $9.5 million to Toxco to build a specialized recycling plant in Ohio for electric vehicle batteries. It is expected to begin operation next year, handling batteries from a variety of makes and models.”

image retrieved from Reuters/Issei Kato

And in Japan, repurposing plans are in place, “Nissan has formed a venture called 4R Energy with Sumitomo, a Japanese conglomerate, aimed at using the old batteries for storing energy from renewable energy sources like wind and solar and for backup power supplies in emergencies.”

Kanter’s coverage of the varying recycling practices of many automakers in many different countries, does a good job of providing the reader an accurate snapshot of the current landscape. And because many automakers and more than one urban mining company are covered, the whole article feels much more informed and relevant. It is a rare piece of reporting that is concerned more about future developments and solutions than the mere benefits of the present. The article also contains an implicit message that we need to ensure our dependency on oil is not simply traded for a dependency for lithium and other materials.

Do you think this is a standout piece of reporting, or do you believe this level is commonly achieved?

Is there a different angle you think Kanter should have covered?