If we produce all electric and hibrid cars, how will we dispose of the old batteries?

Question

Batteries are a problem NOW. They are toxic, made with chemicals and metals that create know health and environmental problems.

Shall we continue to dump millions of tons of them in landfills?

Answer 1

They will be recycled in the future the same way they are now.  The acid can be neutralized with lime, and the lead can be used for making things like glass.

Answer 2

If we switch to ALL electric cars, where will we get electricity to charge all of them? People scream for electric cars completely forgetting that there's no way existing power plants can supply enough power to charge them all. So, we'll need to build more power plants, which the same people oppose.

Answer 3

recharge them

Answer 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcXLFDuAJ...

Answer 5

I suggest we pour gasoline on them and burn em!

Answer 6

They are re-usable batteries. And when they don't hold a charge I think they can be recycled. And 1 battery every 15 years is nothing compared to the C02 emissions of America yearly.

Answer 7

Hybrid batteries are fully recycleable.

"Toyota has a comprehensive battery recycling program in place and has been recycling nickel-metal hydride batteries since the RAV4 Electric Vehicle was introduced in 1998. Every part of the battery, from the precious metals to the plastic, plates, steel case and the wiring, is recycled. To ensure that batteries come back to Toyota, each battery has a phone number on it to call for recycling information and dealers are paid a $200 "bounty" for each battery."

Answer 8

since car batteries are so big  they should be recycled.

Answer 9

We've found ways of recycling and re-using many toxic materials in the past. I'm sure scientists will figure out a way to make use of all the dead batteries once they cannot hold a charge.

Answer 10

Never though about that...I agree with the 1st guy re-charge baby!

Answer 11

and we can always recycle the battery when it is not useful as a battery anymore.

Doug, I think the alternator is used to charge your car battery.

Answer 12

They can be recycled.  That's true now, and it will be much more true in the future.  The batteries will be specifically made to be recycled, every last bit.

Even now, Toyota buys back the old batteries from the Prius and recycles them.

Answer 13

Of course, the batteries in hybrid and all-electric vehicles are rechargable. But every time they are recharged, they lose a bit of capacity. The same thing happens with your cell phone. After about 12-18 months, the battery lasts only about 50% as long as it did when it was new. Then it's time to get a new battery.

The old battery can be recycled. Most batteries, whether rechargable or not, can be recycled. In California, it's illegal to throw away any battery. Thus, many stores have a battery recycling bin. Just drop them off when you go shopping.

For larger batteries, like the ones in cars and boats, take them to a service center where they will be sent for recycling.

Answer 14

We will use ten times the energy saved during the lifetime of these cars just to process the waste including the batteries when the cars are dismantled.

Hybrid cars are a plague on the planet and will do far more harm than good.