EV batteries could cut their carbon footprint 34% by 2050, new study reveals

Lithium-ion battery supply-chain emissions could be cut by roughly 34 percent by 2050, a new study by researchers at the University of Melbourne found. According to the study, this could be achieved by combining cleaner manufacturing with strategies that reduce the number of batteries the world needs. The researchers found that while decarbonizing battery production is still essential, demand-side measures, including prolonging battery life, limiting the growth of EV battery sizes, promoting ride-sharing, and repurposing used batteries for energy storage, could deliver even greater emissions reductions than manufacturing improvements alone. Reseachers noted that demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to soar over the coming decades as electric vehicles (EVs) replace gasoline-powered cars and green energy systems require large-scale electricity storage. While agreeing that batteries play a key role in cutting emissions from transport and power generation, the study warns that emissions from producing them could rise sharply if manufacturing expands without cleaner processes. To assess future impacts, the researchers modeled greenhouse gas emissions across the battery life cycle, from raw resource extraction and manufacturing to recycling, for batteries used in EVs and stationary energy storage through 2050. The analysis included regional differences in electricity generation and battery demand using International Energy Agency scenarios. The study found that on the supply side, the carbon footprint of an individual battery could be reduced by about 34 percent by 2050. The change can be brought about by shifting to cleaner manufacturing, improved production efficiency, lower-carbon battery chemistries, and expanded recycling. The researchers, however, found an even greater potential to reduce battery demand without slowing electrification. In their analysis, researchers found that by ensuring EV batteries last as long as the vehicles they power, the battery demand could be slashed by 29 percent, while limiting the continued growth in average battery pack capacity could cut demand by another 23 percent. Wider adoption of carpooling services could reduce demand by nearly 10 percent, and repurposing retired EV batteries for stationary energy storage could lower demand by a further 8 percent. Together, these measures could eliminate 6–7.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions between 2024 and 2050. Recycling cuts emissions Recycling also plays an important role in lowering the ecological burden of batteries. A separate Stanford University analysis published in 2025 found that recovering battery materials from manufacturing scrap and spent batteries produces less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of conventional mining and refining. Recycling also uses about one-quarter of the water and energy required to extract new metals, with the greatest benefits achieved when processing manufacturing scrap.The researchers said the findings highlighted that the battery industry should focus on making cleaner batteries while pushing better use of every battery produced. As global demand continues to rise, strategies that extend battery life, encourage reuse, and expand recycling could significantly reduce the climate cost of the clean energy transition.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.