SACRAMENTO – The California Legislature passed SB 615 (Allen) today with strong bipartisan support in order to further prop up California as a global leader in the electric vehicle (EV) battery marketplace.

“While we continue to build out the EV marketplace, we need provisions in place that ensure an efficient use of capital and valuable materials, all the while protecting our environment from toxic waste,” said Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica). “Appropriately managing used EV batteries will be a critical piece to this puzzle, so I’m thankful for my colleagues’ support of this effort that will build out this needed framework.”

California is home to the largest EV market in the nation, and the California Energy Commission recently reported that over one third of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) sold in the U.S. were sold in in the golden state – equating to 23.9 percent of all new cars sold in California in the first quarter of 2024. This sets us well on our way to hitting our goal of requiring all new vehicles sold here to be zero emission by 2035.

While more and more EVs come into the market, the management of used EV batteries will become increasingly important for both our environment and domestic market. Of particular importance to the domestic market is funding that can be unlocked from the Inflation Reduction Act for producers and manufacturers that meet domestic production requirements.

Many producers and manufacturers have recognized this and started implementing procedures for returned electric batteries. However, it continues to be a ‘Wild West’ with no formal framework in place to guarantee best practices for the handling of these used batteries.

SB 615 institutes this needed framework for producer responsibility that prioritizes the reuse, repair, or repurposing of an EV battery before requiring the materials to be recycled. This standardized framework would not only create a consistent procedure for a more efficient process, but would also generate good-paying green jobs and support California’s leadership role in the future of clean car manufacturing.

The bill also establishes a program under the Department of Toxic Substances Control to oversee this management of returned EV batteries.

“The clean car revolution is upon us,” said Senator Allen. “Without systems in place to guide our handling of these used batteries, inefficiencies will remain that obstruct our ability to maximize the use of these batteries, leverage important federal funding, and protect our environment. I’m grateful for the buy-in from vehicle manufacturers like Ford Motor which provides the needed cooperation for a successful implementation.”

SB 615 is now heading to the Governor’s desk.

Ben Allen represents the 24th State Senate District, which consists of the Westside, Hollywood, coastal South Bay, and Santa Monica Mountains communities of Los Angeles County.