Electric vehicle car batteries average between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds, but some are even heavier based on the size of the vehicle. Compare that to your average lead-acid battery that weighs around 25 to 40 pounds. The safe handling and packaging of large-format EV batteries can be done, but it’s crucial to know how to do it safely and properly for transport.
To support safe logistical movement, there are three key areas of consideration:
Properly Packaging Materials
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has very specific labeling regulations in place when shipping lithium-ion batteries to ensure the shipment gets from point A to B in the safest way possible.
To further ensure safe transport, it’s critical to work with a certified recycling company to adhere to the following recommendations:
• Taping all exposed, non-recessed, terminals and/or exposed wires.
• How to properly stack batteries.
• The importance of strapping all layers together to prevent batteries from moving freely.
• Clear understanding that lithium-ion EV battery packs can transmit high voltage electricity and how to handle properly.
Pick-Up Details
It is necessary to communicate what is on-site when you schedule a pick-up service for your EV battery. Communicating such things as:
• The type of dock and loading area available at your facility.
• Equipment on-site to move the EV pack for transport.
• Is the material palletized and wrapped for transit.
Shipping a Damaged, Defective, or Recalled (DDR) EV Battery
Damaged or defective lithium-ion batteries have a significant thermal risk and deteriorated mechanical integrity. The battery may be swollen, bloated with cracks, leaking, have corrosion, burn marks, or simply subject to recall. There are correct ways to package this kind of EV battery to mitigate the risks of a thermal incident. In these instances, it’s important that you contact a certified battery recycling company (such as Cirba Solutions) to determine the best way to safely transport the batteries to a recycling facility that can handle damaged, defective, and recalled batteries.
To add on to the complexities of EV batteries, many are created in different formats, making it necessary to understand the size and shape of any electric or hybrid electric vehicle battery before shipping to ensure the process is appropriate for the battery’s size and shape. It’s imperative that batteries are packaged in a manner to prevent short circuit that prevents movement, shifting, or damage.
By fully understanding the best practices when shipping EV batteries, you are greatly mitigating risks during the transportation process. Not only of the product, but for the safety of those involved in the movement of lithium-ion batteries, which is first-and-foremost the most important component.
With more than 30 years of experience and the largest operational battery recycling footprint in North America, Cirba Solutions is a premier battery recycling materials and management company extracting critical materials from scrap and used batteries, and then supplying those battery-grade metals back into the supply chain. As the only vertically integrated team with an operational, differentiated platform and a full suite of capabilities, Cirba Solutions is leading the creation of a circular battery supply chain.
Views expressed in a Sponsored Content section are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or position of the Automotive Recyclers Association.
