China aims to launch a system to track the production, sale, use and recycling of electric car batteries by August, according to draft rules published by the industry ministry on Thursday, as it tries to prevent mounting pollution risks, Reuters reports.
China aims to become a dominant global producer of electric vehicles but it is also racing to create policies, incentives and recycling capacity to handle spent battery waste, which is set to reach as much as 170,000 tonnes this year.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a document published on its website that it would create a “traceability management platform” covering the entire lifecycle of electric vehicle batteries from production to recycling.
The system will clarify who is responsible for handling and recycling spent batteries and also establish a formal monitoring system, the ministry said.
As well as battery makers and recyclers, electric vehicle producers will also be required to participate in the scheme, and must provide online recycling services to customers as well as detailed information about recycling practices. The system will also cover imported electric vehicles.
China produced 150,000 new energy vehicles in the first quarter of 2018, up 157 percent from a year ago. Production reached 794,000 units last year, up 54 percent.
The total number of firms manufacturing new energy vehicles in China stood at 102 by March, with as many as 355 types of pure electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles in production.