China is set for a crackdown on the illegal disposal of EV batteries as the country braces for a wave of power battery ‘retirements’ in the sector.
As power batteries from earlier new energy vehicles (NEVs) reach the end of their service life due to capacity degradation, the volume of retired batteries is growing significantly, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). In 2025, 54% of all new passenger car sales were NEVs.
The number of retired power batteries in China is estimated to exceed one million tonnes annually by 2030, according to MIIT.
Now MIIT is calling for tough new regulations to ensure protection of the environment by stopping dumping and controlling recycling, state media reported on May 28.
The move is understood to underpin a digital battery passport-style scheme focused on the NEV sector, as reported by Batteries International earlier this year.
According to the Xinhua news agency, MIIT has demanded strict investigation and punishment of illegal activities, including the unauthorised disposal of retired batteries.
A special MIIT meeting on recycling also called for measures to stamp out manufacturing of substandard products using retired batteries, tackle failures to fulfil information tracing responsibilities, and halting illegal dismantling causing environmental pollution and unlicensed operations.
The number of retired power batteries in China is estimated to exceed one million tonnes annually by 2030, according to MIIT.
New measures are expected to include the use of digital technologies to better monitor battery flows and ensure all operators involved in the battery industrial chain fulfil their responsibilities.
MIIT also urged deeper collaboration among industry associations, key companies and research institutions to accelerate the development and application of advanced technologies and equipment, explore new business models, and build a solid foundation for high-quality development of the industry.
In November 2025, China battery giant CATL launched a pilot program that the firm said would allow it to transport lithium battery cargoes by road and rail in safety and at scale.
The battery manufacturer said it had become the first company in China to obtain a conditional exemption for road transportation — which would boost distribution and shore up a critical link in the supply chain for NEVs and ESS systems.
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