Impact of hybrid and electric vehicles on automobile recycling infrastructure

The recycling infrastructure for end-of-use vehicles in the United States is driven by profitability due to the absence of regulations. Typically, the recycling consists of removing reusable components for resale and shredding and separating remaining material for material recovery. Profitability depends on the quantity and type of components and material recovered. Because the material composition of hybrid and electric vehicles differs from conventional vehicles, their increased presence is expected to affect profitability. Understanding the impact of these vehicles on recycling profitability is the focus of this paper. It uses a system dynamics model to analyze that impact on the profitability of dismantler and shredder operations over the coming years.