Hybrid batteries vs. the environment

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Three60guy @ Jun 27 2006, 07:48 PM) [snapback]277824[/snapback]</div>

You're probably referring to the "study" that was discussed in the thread at http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=1...11&#entry272611. As I mentioned in their post and I became aware of the spreadsheet which had more details and saw their TOTALLY ridiculous numbers and bogus assumptions.

 

Here's another report that has something about the energy cost of battery manufacture

http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/B/239.pdf


In 2004, world nickel consumption was about 1,250,000 tons

http://www.giiexpress.com/products/ros34932/


I have misplaced the source, but batteries overall represent about 10% of that number, or about 125,000 tons annually.

Meanwhile Toyota is building about 200,000 Prius annually, with about 20kg of nickel in each one's battery. So the hybrid vehicle battery annual Ni comsumption is about 4000 tons into Prius. I extrapolate from this about 5000 tons/yr into all hybrid vehicles. Perhaps someone could improve on these estimates? Anyway, as it stands, hybrid vehicles overall represent approximately 4% of all the Ni-based batteries.

If we can agree that other Ni-based batteries generally have a shorter service life, then it is clear that the overwhelming need for Ni recycling is elsewhere in the Ni-based battery world, and not from hybrid vehicles.

Incidentally the largest use of Ni is in stainless steels, and your Prius has a few kg of that as well.