A dynamic network design model with capacity expansions for EoL traction battery recycling - A case study of an OEM in Germany

The growth of the battery powered vehicle market will lead to an increasing amount of End of Life (EoL) electric vehicle battery systems (EVBSs) in the future. Although pointed out as a future challenge by research as well as industry, the analysis and design of EoL traction batteries' recycling networks have not been conducted extensively. Existing quantitative optimization models do not contain dynamic characteristics that are of importance for a growing market. We present a dynamic EoL battery reverse supply chain optimization model that allows planning over multiple periods and multiple supply chain layers while including capacity expansions of disassembling centers and recycling plants. The model is applied to a case study of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of battery electric vehicles that handles all EoL recycling activities for its batteries in a single stakeholder-driven network in Germany. The average EoL costs per EVBS were estimated to decrease by over 35% from 2030 to 2044 due to using larger processing facilities that benefit from economy of scale and lower transportation costs because more locations exist. The network change is driven by the growth of EoL EVBS supply.