The EV boom’s next challenge: what happens to all those used batteries?

As electric vehicle adoption grows, safe and sustainable reverse logistics helps create a circular battery economy and reduce environmental impact.

WECHAT

14 August 2026 • 4 min read

Key takeaways

EV battery logistics is growing in importance. Rising EV adoption is increasing demand for safe collection, transport, reuse, and recycling of used batteries.
Battery transport requires specialized handling. Lithium-ion batteries are hazardous goods requiring compliant packaging, documentation, labeling, and transportation by certified logistics providers.
Reverse logistics enables battery circularity. Reusing, repurposing, and recycling batteries recovers valuable materials, reduces waste, and supports sustainable electric mobility.

Global electric vehicle (EV) sales are climbing at a rapid pace, with the 2025 EV market growing by 20 percent with sales in 2024 to exceed 20 million. This meant that one in four new cars sold around the world in 2025 was an EV.

While much attention has focused on manufacturing and shipping new EV batteries, the return journey is equally critical. Used batteries do not just get discarded—they need to be transported for diagnostics, repurposing, or recycling.

Managing this process safely and sustainably is one of the defining logistics challenges of the decade.

The complexities of transporting batteries

Batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, are classified as hazardous goods. This means the rules for transporting batteries require strict compliance with international regulations on packaging, labeling, documentation, and handling. Batteries require professional handling to uphold safety, environmental, and reputational standards for manufacturers and recyclers alike.

To send a battery by courier, shippers must ensure it is properly declared, packed in approved materials, and labeled as a dangerous good. Logistics companies only accept battery shipments that meet these standards to protect people, goods, and the environment.

What is the best way to transport batteries? The safest method is to work with a certified logistics provider that specializes in hazardous goods. This ensures shipments are packaged correctly, temperature conditions are managed where needed, and all regulations are followed across borders.

Enabling circularity through reverse logistics

Used EV batteries can be reconditioned for continued use in EVs or repurposed for other uses.

The used battery challenge is also an opportunity. Reverse logistics, which is the process of moving goods from their point of consumption back to their point of origin for reuse or disposal, can enable a circular economy for batteries. DHL is at the forefront of this transformation, working with automotive manufacturers, energy companies, and recyclers to give batteries a second life.

Some batteries can be reconditioned for continued use in mobile environments, while others are repurposed for stationary energy storage. Those that can no longer serve in either role are dismantled, with valuable raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel recovered and eventually reintroduced into the supply chain.

DHL’s role in safe and sustainable transport

DHL brings global expertise in hazardous goods logistics to the EV ecosystem. From specialized packaging and temperature-controlled shipping to cross-border compliance, DHL provides solutions for shipping batteries, including standalone lithium-ion batteries, batteries packed with equipment, and batteries contained in equipment.

At the same time, DHL ensures sustainability is built into every shipment. Through its GoGreen Plus service, shippers can significantly reduce the carbon emissions associated with transporting batteries by leveraging sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF can cut lifecycle emissions of traditional aviation fuels by up to 80 percent, and GoGreen Plus enables businesses to apply these reductions directly to their supply chains, a carbon insetting approach recognized by the Science Based Targets Initiative.

Powering the future responsibly

As EV adoption accelerates, the importance of safe and sustainable battery logistics cannot be overstated. Ensuring that used batteries are collected, transported, and repurposed responsibly is key to unlocking the full potential of electric mobility.

With its expertise in hazardous goods logistics and its GoGreen Plus service, DHL is not only meeting today’s logistics challenges but also contributing to a cleaner, more circular energy future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is reverse logistics becoming increasingly important for EV batteries?

The growing adoption of electric vehicles is leading to a surge in used EV batteries. Safely collecting, transporting, reusing, and recycling these batteries is crucial for creating a circular battery economy, recovering valuable materials, and minimizing environmental impact.

What are the key challenges in transporting EV batteries?

EV batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, are classified as hazardous goods. This means their transport requires strict adherence to international regulations for packaging, documentation, labeling, and handling. To achieve this, specialized logistics providers are essential to ensure safety and compliance.

How does reverse logistics contribute to a circular economy for EV batteries?

Reverse logistics facilitates the movement of used EV batteries for diagnostics, reconditioning, repurposing, or recycling. This process allows valuable materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel to be recovered and reintroduced into the supply chain, reducing waste and supporting sustainable electric mobility.