New Jersey is preparing for a surge in retired electric vehicle batteries by turning legislation into a statewide system. Researchers Kevin Belfield and Zeyuan Qiu will lead the NJIT EV Battery Management Law project, examining how propulsion batteries should be collected, stored, tested, repaired, repurposed, and recycled. Their work comes as up to 12 million metric tons of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries could reach the end of their first useful life globally each year by 2030. The initiative seeks to prevent dangerous disposal, recover critical minerals, protect communities, and create a circular battery economy other US states can follow.
NJIT researchers will assess New Jersey’s battery-handling infrastructure and recommend a network for collection, storage, reuse, and recycling. Funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the study will support America’s first law requiring EV battery producers to manage batteries after their useful life. Final recommendations are expected by the end of 2027.
Why New Jersey Needs a Battery Blueprint
Around 33 million EVs could be operating on US roads by 2030, creating demand for end-of-life systems. Yet scrap yards and waste facilities are not designed to process volumes of lithium-ion packs.
Damaged or incorrectly handled batteries may ignite and contaminate soil and water. A fire at Camden’s EMR Scrap Metal Junkyard highlighted these risks. However, retired packs also contain recoverable cobalt, nickel, and other critical materials with economic and national-security value.
What the Research Will Deliver
The NJIT EV Battery Management Law roadmap will focus on:
- Full-lifecycle rules covering manufacturing, repair, testing, reuse, repurposing, and recycling.
- Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks that make manufacturers accountable after first use.
- Geographic mapping of existing facilities, infrastructure gaps, and sites across New Jersey and the Northeast.
- Clear protocols to keep propulsion batteries out of scrap yards and landfills.
- Responsible mineral recovery that strengthens domestic supply chains, businesses, and job creation.
Researchers will consider how proposed facilities could affect overburdened communities protected under New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law. The goal is to expand recycling capacity without shifting pollution, fire risk, or harm onto vulnerable neighborhoods.
Stakeholders and Students Join the Mission
The project will unite government agencies, battery producers, recyclers, academics, nonprofits, and community organizations through a Stakeholder Alliance Group. Workshops, public feedback, and an online resource featuring interactive maps will help residents understand sites and contribute to decisions.
Graduate and undergraduate students will participate through coursework and applied research. This connects chemistry, sustainability, engineering, and public policy while preparing talent for circular-economy careers.
A National Model by 2027
By the end of 2027, the NJIT EV Battery Management Law team will provide a needs assessment, geospatial database, infrastructure framework, and recommendations.
Its long-term vision is a seamless system in which zero EV batteries enter conventional landfills or scrap yards. If implemented, the NJIT EV Battery Management Law framework could give other states a replicable model for producer responsibility, public safety, recycling, and resilient clean-energy industries.
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