March 27, 2025: EU leaders have been urged to ‘stop sending signals’ that lead will be banned, which disincentivizes investment in sustainable advance battery technologies, a senior Exide Group executive has said.
Karsten Kurz, Exide’s director for corporate social responsibility and governmental relations, said Europe’s lead battery industry does not need special assistance — only fair competition and a halt to ever-increasing regulations.
In a March 20 blog post for the Consortium for Battery Innovation, Kurz said Exide’s business is based on producing advanced batteries for energy storage using two “essential and complementary technologies”, lead and lithium.
He said where new measures are necessary, they should be proportionate and risk based. But on moves aimed at restricting the use of lead under REACH regulations, Kurz said this essentially sends a signal that lead is “banned and acts as a disincentive to invest.
“This approach is highly counterproductive and has to stop. We hope that the REACH revision later this year will consider that.
“Europe needs an eco-system of different battery technologies for a wide variety of applications to fulfil our own needs and to compete globally.”
Kurz said the group’s technology agnostic approach was key to supporting innovative battery technologies developed in Europe.
“Our message to policymakers is straightforward. Please allow us to continue to operate, to innovate, to compete. We don’t seek special assistance. But we do seek a level playing field. We all want to see costs reduced, be they energy or other compliance requirements.”
The lead battery industry is not seeking special assistance, only a level playing field, Kurz said. “We all want to see costs reduced, be they energy or other compliance requirements.”
A new EU metals action plan, published on March 17, is one example of the need for policymakers to think more broadly, Kurz said.
“It focuses on a few key metals — which are important, like steel — but fails to include the importance of a much wider group of metals like lead which are essential to our competitiveness and our autonomy.”
Paris-headquartered Exide Technologies operates 11 manufacturing and three recycling facilities sites across Europe, employing 5,000 people directly and more through its European supply chain.
The group’s products include batteries for hybrid and electric on-road vehicles to those supplying energy to industrial vehicles and backup systems for datacenters and hospitals.
Exide also produces batteries for defence applications, with all batteries made and recycled in Europe, Kurz said.
Kurz’s blog post is available in full online.
