Electric vehicles are central to the clean-energy transition, but the way their batteries are sourced and manufactured still carries a sizable environmental footprint.
Research from Annick Anctil, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State, shows that decisions about reshoring and friendshoring the battery supply chain can meaningfully shift that footprint, for better or worse.
Anctil and team’s analysis reveals that offshored battery materials often lead to the highest carbon and water impacts, largely because key inputs are produced in regions with carbon-intensive electricity.
Friendshoring, by contrast, tends to yield the lowest impacts due to cleaner energy mixes among U.S. free-trade-agreement partners.
Reshoring can bring benefits as well, but only when domestic cell and material production rely on low-carbon energy. With the right renewable-energy deployment, a 100% U.S.-made 70kW battery pack can cut its carbon footprint by more than two tons.
Another tool that Anctil investigates is recycling. Newer methods allow recycled cathode materials to approach the environmental performance of virgin feedstocks. When paired with North American production, recycling can drop new battery production footprints even further.
This research shows how policy, sourcing, and technology choices can reduce the environmental impact of EV batteries.
To explore Anctil’s work in more depth, visit:
- Environmental impacts of reshoring and friendshoring the battery supply chain [Article]
- Life Cycle Assessment of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling: Evaluating the Impact of Recycling Methods and Location [Article]
- Evaluating the cost and carbon footprint of second-life electric vehicle batteries in residential and utility-level applications [Article]
- Economic and environmental feasibility of second-life lithium-ion batteries as fast-charging energy storage [Article]
- Google Scholar page [Website]
- Research website [Website]
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page