Electric cars are the latest addition to the automobile industry, and only a few parts of the population who believe in helping the environment have them.
But like regular cars, it’s subject to damage. In that case, should you scrap it? If not, what exactly should you do with it? This article will go into detail on exactly that.
In this article we will cover
Do scrap yards take electric cars?
When a regular vehicle becomes old, damaged, or deregistered, most people would go and sell them to scrap yards or car wreckers. This is a good choice because scrap yards don’t look at the condition of the vehicle.
We will take cars of all makes and models, no matter how much it has been destroyed. But is it really true that we take all types of vehicles? What about electric cars in specific?
The simple answer is that while some of us might, most scrap yards are not willing to buy electric cars. However, that’s the situation at present, and it’s subject to change in the foreseeable future.
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Why are most scrap yards not willing to buy electric cars?
The biggest reason scrap yards will be reluctant to buy electric cars has everything to do with recycling it. To elaborate..
The recycling process needs specialists: Electric cars differ from regular cars in many aspects, but the main aspect is the battery. These are usually lithium-ion batteries, containing components like manganese, cobalt, and nickel. And the process of recycling these batteries is vastly different from simply recycling glass or lead.
It requires people who have been specifically trained to work with these batteries. Finding such specialists can be hard. Moreover, different electric cars might use different ingredients for their batteries, and the process of working with each is different.
The recycling process is not economical: Aside from hiring people who know how to work with the batteries of electric cars, special equipment will be needed to dismantle and work on it. In the long run, most scrap yards won’t deem it a financially beneficial decision.
It’s not environmentally friendly: The truth is that there’s still no way to dispose of the harmful substances of these electric batteries without harming the environment. And even if there are, it’s not very affordable. Most scrap yards aren’t willing to take that risk, because their license makes them legally bound to complete the entire process in an eco-friendly manner.
Why shouldn’t you sell your electric car to wreckers?
Car wreckers aside, it’s generally not a smart decision to take your electric car to a scrap yard. Even if the scrap yard takes it, you won’t get nearly as much as you should in exchange.
Since the process of dismantling it is so complex and expensive, most scrap yards will offer you a very low price for it. And given how expensive electric cars are, it will be a huge loss on your part.
How to get rid of your junk electric car?
There is still a very high value for electric cars in the market. The best way to go about it is to separate the parts and put them up for auction. This includes the batteries too. They could sell for prices equal to a brand-new regular car. What remains of the car can be scrapped.
