Driving the Sustainable Transition: Battery Material Dynamics and Emission Assessments of EU Electric Mobility

Electric vehicles (EVs) provide a promising solution for reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the passenger transport sector.

Author: C. Tang
Date: 19 May 2026
Links: Thesis in Leiden Repository

To address the growing GHG emissions in the EU passenger transport sector, the EU has announced a set of climate policies to promote the adoption of EVs, partially or fully powered by lithium-ion batteries, in the EU passenger fleet through 2040. Challenges related to the supply of key materials in EV batteries, along with their energy-intensive production process, introduce uncertainties regarding the sustainability of the transition from fossil-based internal combustion engines to EVs in the EU. This study combines material flow analysis with future vehicle use scenarios to assess the material cycles of lithium, cobalt, and nickel as well as the GHG emissions during the electric mobility transition through 2040. Our findings suggest that advancing EV battery technologies, implementing circular practices, and decarbonizing energy systems are pivotal for a sustainable electric mobility transition in the EU. In addition, challenges regarding over-ambitious climate targets or the underlying tensions of the circularity targets across sectors underscore the necessity of coherent and well-coordinated climate policy frameworks that enable environmental targets to effectively drive the long-term sustainability of the EU electric mobility transition.