Old Car Batteries

Because there are more than cars in the world than license drivers, the problem on old car batteries is a serious matter. Even in developed nations, you can occasionally see old car batteries lying on the streets, or occasionally finding their way in the canals. Even more so in less developed countries; they have become dumping sites for used vehicle batteries.


A lead-acid battery contains lead, which is a highly toxic substance that attacks the central nervous system. It can cause mental disorders among children and certain types of cancer. Lead metal is not biodegradable when it leaks into the environment. They will remain hazardous to plants and animals that can come in contact; and their harmful effects can be passed to humans from the food they eat.

Another dangerous component of lead-acid battery is the sulfuric acid that it contains. It's the byproduct when the batteries are used to power engines. It's highly corrosive, and it can burn plants and animal tissues on contact. If they are not treated well before releasing into the environment, they can cause serious damage to all forms of life. And a lead-acid battery is at least 40% sulfuric acid.

Given this potential hazards from old car batteries, many countries around the world impose laws that penalize people for improper disposal of these hazardous waste. You are even required to pay a deposit when buying a new vehicle battery without turning in your old one. Recycling plants are also built just to take care of old car batteries.

However, many old car batteries from wealthy nations are finding their way to poorer, less developed countries. The United Nations even expressed concern for this damning practice of wealthier nations. The problem is even more aggravated because these poorer countries don't have laws that protect their citizens from this practice. And they are less equipped to handle the proper disposal and recycling of these hazardous wastes.

When it comes to old car batteries, all citizens are required to do their part of properly disposing them. A system is placed to handle used car batteries; all you have to do is to follow the law.



How to Change a Car Battery




Car Battery News:

Tough Times for U.S. Electric Car Battery Makers - Technology Review

National Legal and Policy Center

Tough Times for U.S. Electric Car Battery Makers
Technology Review
Demand is expected to grow over the next few years as government regulations and incentives push automakers to roll out more battery-powered cars, and as technical and manufacturing advances make batteries cheaper. But for now, US battery makers are .
Ener1, electric-car battery maker, files for bankruptcyDaily auto news
Indiana's electric-vehicle bustThe Republic
Taxpayer Cash for Ener1 Helped a Thrice-Failed Foreign EV CompanyNational Legal and Policy Center
Daily Caller
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Tewksbury Township garage fire started around car battery charger, labeled . - The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com

Tewksbury Township garage fire started around car battery charger, labeled .
The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com
By Sarah M. Wojcik | The Express-Times A Tewksbury Township garage fire appears to have originated near a vehicle battery charger and does not seem suspicious, according to the authorities. The fire, which started shortly before midnight Tuesday, .

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Parent company of car battery maker that received Energy Dept. grant files for bankruptcy
WASHINGTON - The parent company of an electric car battery maker that received a $118 million grant from the Obama administration filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday...


Battery maker Ener1, a DOE loan recipient, goes bankrupt
Electric car battery maker Ener1 filed for bankruptcy Thursday, three years after receiving a $118.5 million grant from the U.S. government...


Under the hood: GM blueprint for Volt 2.0 - Reuters

EarthTechling

Under the hood: GM blueprint for Volt 2.0
Reuters
The Volt is one of the first mass-market electric cars. It differs from its closest rival, the Nissan Leaf, by having a gasoline-powered engine to provide additional driving range once the battery is spent. Toyota has a competitor to the Volt, .
Obama's Auto Industry Handouts Are Nothing to Brag AboutU.S. News & World Report (blog)
Why TVO's Steve Paikin loves his Chevrolet VoltToronto Star
Standard Motors And Electric Cars EUR What's The Difference?EarthTechling
IDG News Service
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Strike 2 for the DOE: Electric car battery maker files bankruptcy
Indiana-based electric car battery manufacturer Ener1 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday. The battery maker received over a quarter of the federal stimulus money granted to projects in the state of Indiana under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act fo 2009, a state which was the second highest recipient of federal stimulus money...


How Obama's stimulus revived the electric car - Alaska Dispatch

Alaska Dispatch

How Obama's stimulus revived the electric car
Alaska Dispatch
One success the Obama administration can duly claim is the rebirth of the electric-car industry in the United States. Automakers have unveiled a number of mass-market electric cars, which have seen small but rising sales. Battery and parts .

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Parent company of car battery maker that received Energy Dept. grant files for . - Washington Post

Daily Caller

Parent company of car battery maker that received Energy Dept. grant files for .
Washington Post
WASHINGTON EUR” The parent company of an electric car battery maker that received a $118 million grant from the Obama administration filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday. New York-based Ener1 said it has been affected by competition .
Obama-backed electric car battery maker Ener1 files for bankruptcyThe Hill (blog)
Ener1, Electric-Car Battery Maker, Seeks Chapter 11 Bankruptcy ProtectionBloomberg
Ener1, electric-car battery maker, files for Ch. 11GlobalPost
Big Government -Daily Caller
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Obama-backed car battery maker goes bankrupt
Ener1, parent company of EnerDel - which got $118M from feds - is latest company to file for protection after stimulus boost..


Car Talk | Battery isnt always the problem
D ear Tom and Ray | My 88-year-old mother has a 2005 Buick LaCrosse with 15,000 miles on it. It only gets driven to the grocery store, hair salon and church. But that has been the case for all six years shes owned it. Now, in the past three months, three new batteries have gone stone-cold dead after four to six weeks! The Buick service department says the problem is EURśShe doesnt drive it enough ...


Basic Car Battery Maintenance


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