Future Lunch at the RWU

Building on the "FutureLunch1310" on July 8 with Prof. Dr. Christoph Ellenrieder, which focused on the potential and challenges of e-mobility, the current round of discussions was dedicated in particular to the use of resources and the opportunities and challenges of recycling batteries.

To begin with, Prof. Dr. Ellenrieder used an energy efficiency comparison between an average combustion engine (50-60 kWh per 100 km) and an electric motor (15-20 kWh per 100 km) to illustrate the significantly higher efficiency of electric vehicles. Although the production of electric cars initially generates higher CO₂ emissions than conventional vehicles, this difference is balanced out after a mileage of around 10,000 to 50,000 kilometers. If the electric car is powered exclusively by electricity from renewable energy sources, the break-even point shifts even further forward. "In the long term, efficiency wins," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Christoph Ellenrieder.

The rest of the "FutureLunch1310" focused on the topics of safety, the use of resources and the future of batteries that can no longer be used in vehicles. Batteries are considered no longer usable when they have a residual capacity of 80 percent, although the batteries currently installed in vehicles have a much longer service life than was assumed ten years ago. It should be particularly emphasized that no current resources such as petrol or diesel are consumed after the production of an electric car, but the raw materials used are retained. As soon as a battery is no longer suitable for use in a car, it is recycled - around 90 percent of metals such as nickel, cobalt and copper are already recovered, while the proportion of lithium is between 60 and 90 percent, depending on the recycling plant. Discarded vehicle batteries can also be reused as second-use batteries, for example in the home or for grid stabilization. With the expansion of e-mobility, the potential to sustainably reduce the environmental impact of traffic is also growing. However, Prof. Dr. Ellenrieder emphasized that electric cars are not the only solution, but are an important building block for a sustainable future.

The participants then discussed the optimal use and charging conditions for electric cars in the private sector. Another focus was on lithium recycling, rising raw material prices and the economic opportunities of battery recycling. Alternative battery technologies that do not require lithium were also discussed. The integration of battery storage systems at the university also attracted attention - especially in combination with large photovoltaic systems, batteries offer the possibility of effectively smoothing load peaks.

Semester break

The "FutureLunch1310" is now taking a break for the semester. We will be back in the summer semester 2026 with exciting and future-oriented topics and impulses.