Product Use
Disposal
Once the product has reached the end of its useful life, consideration must be taken on how to dispose of the product.
For both battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, which are zero-emissions at the tailpipe, the well-to-wheel aspect of lifecycle emissions accounts for 56-64%. 5 So reducing the amount of CO 2 emissions due to fuel use is the area with the largest GHG mitigation potential. For battery electric vehicles, electricity comes from the power grid. Grid electricity generated by burning coal or natural gas is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen, the fuel source for fuel cell electric vehicles, can be generated sustainably using electrolyzers. Centralized hydrogen production from renewable electricity is one of the paths to source cost-effective green hydrogen at scale, and accelerate the decarbonization of transportation.
Whereas lithium batteries are said to be 95% recyclable, the practice of recycling them is not well developed at this time and most end up in landfills. 6 In comparison, Ballard’s expertise in refurbishing, reusing, and reclaiming fuel cell components means our solution is both zero-emission and low waste. Ballard’s ability to reclaim 95% of the fuel cell stack means far fewer waste products end up in landfills. Every year we recycle and refurbish thousands of fuel cell stacks.
5 Global EV Outlook 2019 6 Engineering.com
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