China Puts E-Bike Makers on the Hook for Battery Recycling

China wants e-bike manufacturers to play a greater role in lithium-ion battery recycling, as concerns mount over the industry’s safety and environmental risks.

According to draft regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Dec. 18, e-bike manufacturers will bear “primary responsibility” for ensuring the proper recycling of lithium batteries, including collecting used batteries and handing them over to licensed recycling firms.

Manufacturers will also be encouraged to offer trade-in programs, discounted buybacks, and subsidies to motivate consumers to hand in their used lithium batteries.

The regulations will remain open for public comment until Jan. 16.

There are an estimated 400 million e-bikes on China’s roads — almost one for every three people — but a lack of recycling infrastructure has caused problems from chemical pollution to fatal explosions.

Currently, many discarded batteries wind up in the hands of unregulated individual recyclers, domestic media outlet Caixin has reported. These operators often dismantle batteries for resale or reuse in second-hand products, practices linked to fires and explosions.

The draft regulations will require local market regulators to crack down on small recyclers. Manufacturers will be responsible for setting up designated collection points and transferring the used batteries to officially authorized recyclers.

Caixin quoted an industry insider as saying e-bike manufacturers may add recycling services to their existing retail outlets, rather than shoulder the costs of building a full battery collection network.

In addition to e-bike manufacturers, the regulations also require food delivery companies, shared e-bike operators, and battery rental firms to manage battery recycling for their businesses.

Currently, about 20% of e-bikes in China are equipped with lithium batteries, primarily those used in the courier and food delivery industries. These batteries are lightweight, durable, and long-lasting, but also more prone to safety incidents than their lead-acid counterparts.

According to data released by the National Fire and Rescue Administration on Nov. 25, lithium batteries were involved in 81.1% of e-bike fires caused by battery malfunctions in October.

The draft regulations come amid a broader crackdown on e-bike safety, in which lithium batteries have emerged as a key focus.

On April 30, the MIIT started a government-approved list offering preferential policies to qualified e-bike manufacturers. And on Nov. 1, new safety requirements for lithium batteries used in e-bikes came into effect.

Both documents touched on battery recycling but lacked detailed implementation measures.

Meanwhile, on Aug. 24, the Ministry of Commerce introduced China’s first-ever trade-in policy for e-bikes. The policy offers subsidies to encourage consumers to exchange old lithium-ion e-bikes for safer but less efficient lead-acid battery models.

(Header image: Delivery riders replace their e-bike batteries at a battery-swapping station in Changde, Hunan province, Sept. 24, 2024. VCG)