Rapid expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) has led to a surge in retired batteries. It is critical to establish an efficient and sustainable recycling system of retired electric vehicle batteries (EVBs) for resource circularity and carbon reduction. As the world’s largest EV manufacturer and market, China is in urgent need of systematic governance of the retired EVB recycling industry. Although a growing body of research has examined the EVB recycling industry, a systematic review of the recycling system is still lacking. From the perspective of the industrial chain, this study integrates field research, in-depth interviews, multicase analysis, and systematic literature review to provide a comprehensive assessment of China’s EVB recycling system. It first maps the structural configuration and developmental landscape of the EVB recycling industry. Second, from the perspective of stakeholders, dominant business models, manufacturer-led, third-party-led, and alliance-led, are examined in terms of operational mechanisms and profit logic. Further, a PESTEL-based multimismatch framework is proposed to identify nine structural barriers of the EVB recycling industry, from collection to recycling. To address these challenges, a multistakeholder collaborative pathway is proposed, emphasizing the integration of policy, industry, and societal factors to establish a data-driven governance network that incorporates institutional supply, standard refinement, responsibility allocation, and public participation. This study offers insights for advancing the sustainable EVB recycling industry in China and beyond and contributes to the achievement of global climate goals.
Zhang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.