The lithium-ion battery pack price dropped to 115 U.S. dollars per kilowatt-hour in 2024, down from over 144 dollars per kilowatt-hour a year earlier. Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most efficient energy storage devices worldwide. Over recent years, high-scale production and capital investment into the battery production process have made lithium-ion battery packs cheaper and more efficient. This demonstrates a staggering demand for energy storage worldwide and the increasingly significant role of electric vehicles. Electric vehicle sales Individuals, organizations, and governments aim to reduce their environmental footprint as the awareness about the consequences of climate change becomes more widespread. To contribute to a greener society, they promote the growth of the electric vehicle market to make transportation more sustainable. When it comes to the sales volume of electric vehicles, the trend is staggeringly positive. For instance, global plug-in electric light vehicle (PEV) sales have progressively increased since 2015, surpassing 13.7 million units sold in 2023. Environmental impact of batteries Incorrect disposal of Li-ion batteries can have a devastating impact on the environment, sparking the need for recycling. The global market for lithium-ion battery recycling is expected to reach 13.5 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. This figure compares to around 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.