BUSINESS

China Turns to Used EV Batteries to Cut Reliance on Imported Metals

Published: Jun. 30, 2026 11:29 p.m. GMT+8

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Workers dismantle used electric-vehicle batteries for recycling in Pingxiang, Jiangxi province, China, April 22, 2026. Photo: VCG

Recycled critical metals supplied enough material in 2025 to meet more than a tenth of China’s power-battery production needs, and that share could eventually exceed 50% as retired electric-vehicle batteries pile up, according to a new industry report.

Chen Mo, an official at the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance, released the report on Tuesday, saying recycled materials could cover more than 15% of domestic battery production demand by 2030.

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Explore the story in 30 seconds

Recycled metals supplied >10% of China’s battery production in 2025; share could exceed 50% as retired EV batteries pile up.
Waste battery volumes rose ~30% to 400,000 tons in 2025; recycling market to grow from 40B to 120–150B yuan by 2030.
Despite price swings and informal traders, recycling is a strategic priority to reduce heavy import dependence on nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper.

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What Happened When

In 2025：: Recycled critical metals supplied enough material to meet more than a tenth of China’s power-battery production needs. Waste power-battery volumes rose about 30% year-on-year to roughly 400,000 tons.

By the end of 2025：: Recycled nickel, cobalt, and lithium accounted for 11%, 13%, and 5%, respectively, of the metals needed by China’s power-battery sector in that year.

May 13, 2026：: Wang Peng, head of energy conservation and comprehensive utilization at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the ministry was studying rules that could elevate battery recycling requirements to the level of administrative regulation.

June 30, 2026：: Chen Mo released a report stating recycled materials could cover more than 15% of domestic battery production demand by 2030.

In 2026：: The report forecasts retired power batteries will reach 1 million tons and the battery recycling market will be about 40 billion yuan.

By 2030：: Recycled materials could cover more than 15% of domestic battery production demand. The battery recycling market could expand to 120 billion to 150 billion yuan.