How lead batteries could make EVs safer

The author contends that 12V lead auxiliary batteries are critical for electric vehicle safety, providing backup power for steering and braking if the main lithium-ion battery fails. He highlights the technology's strong circular economy in Europe, noting that nearly 80% of materials are recycled and production is domestic, reducing reliance on global supply chains.

• 12V lead auxiliary batteries are critical for vehicle safety because they provide backup power for essential features like brake boosting and power steering, especially if the high-voltage lithium-ion propulsion battery fails, allowing the vehicle to pull over safely.
• The lead battery industry in Europe serves as a primary example of a circular economy, with end-of-life collection rates near 100% and approximately 80% of the materials in new batteries sourced from recycling.
• Lead batteries offer several technical and strategic advantages over other technologies, including lower environmental impact over their lifetime, greater affordability, and wider operational temperature windows than lithium-ion batteries.
• Europe possesses a domestic production capacity of 90 GWh for lead batteries, ensuring independence from global supply structures.

APA

Rosenkranz, C. (2021). How lead batteries could make EVs safer. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/12v-lead-batteries-evs-safety/

Chicago

Rosenkranz, Christian. How lead batteries could make EVs safer. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/12v-lead-batteries-evs-safety/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Rosenkranz |first1=Christian |title=How lead batteries could make EVs safer |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=9 August 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/12v-lead-batteries-evs-safety/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rosenkranz2021how, author = {Rosenkranz, Christian}, title = {{How lead batteries could make EVs safer}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/12v-lead-batteries-evs-safety/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }