There’s no doubt, that fast-forward well into the future and pretty much all of us road users will be driving electric vehicles. We won’t quite be flying around in tiny space-ships but it’s definitely a move forwards from petrol and diesel cars and bikes!  Pretty much silent, easier to run (no more petrol station dashes!) and definitely kinder to the environment, if you haven’t yet owned an electric car, and you’re thinking about scrapping a car in North London, Hertfordshire or Essex, you might want to consider one for your next car.   Obviously with less toxic fumes floating around in the atmosphere, changing over reduces your carbon footprint and protects humans and animals.  However, while electric cars might be vastly more environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel cars (and cheaper when it comes to driving into congestion/high emission zones) but when it comes to car scrapping, there are still dangers involved. 

The advantages far outweigh the dangers when it comes to scrapping and we’re happy that electric cars are becoming more and more important, especially as they’re so environmentally friendly. Today, there are lots of electric car models on the market, as well as hybrid (in-between, which are cars that run on petrol or electricity).  The Toyota Prius is one and was one of the first electric cars on the road.  For fast cars – the Tesla is currently the biggest selling, having delivered 500,000 in 2020, despite the pandemic.  In fact, global sales of electric cars rose by 43% last year .  As with every car, one day, it comes to the end of its life, so what happens when you want to scrap an electric or hybrid vehicle?

Always Take an Electric Car to a Reuptable Car Scrapping Dealer

As the number one car scrapping service in North London (and the surrounding areas), you could say we know more than a thing or two about scrapping electric cars.  Remember, car scrapping in Herts is so important now because of the environment and it’s really car recycling rather than scrapping.   We take great care to comply with the car recycling regulations and as we own our own scrap yard in Herts, we don’t use a third party which means that we pass on the profit from car scrapping in Essex and beyond to our customers. Let’s talk about what we do for electric car recycling in London because they have to be scrapped carefully and safely (as petrol and diesel cars).

Electric Cars Have More Complexities When It Comes to Scrapping

At UKCarMovement, when we quote on any car, petrol, diesel or electric vehicles (bikes too), we have to consider the fluids and the system the car uses. Petrol and diesel vehicles are more complicated than their electric brothers.  That’s because electric cars only use battery power, they’re simpler in mechanical terms than their diesel or petrol counterparts and have less fluid to deal with.  You might think that sounds like they’re easier to scrap but they’re actually more complicated.  However, it’s nothing our experienced car scrapping team can’t deal with!

Dealing with Batteries

Any car that’s going to be scrapped must have its dangerous fluid removed in a safe manner.  That means battery fluid, flammable liquids and anything else that could pose a danger. The most dangerous object that must be removed is the battery.  Remember, it’s not any old battery!  It’s a powerful beast and some electric car batteries have batteries that are as high as 800 volts.  If not removed carefully, it could pose risk to life.  If the battery leaks on skin, it can cause burning and affect breathing. If it’s not handled correctly, these batteries are so powerful, they could result in an explosion or a fire. So, if you do have an electric car in London and want to scrap it, make sure you choose a reliable, reputable car scrapping dealer to do it safely and responsibly.  

It’s not just the battery that has high voltage.  In any electric car or hybrid car, there’s other electrical components that are equally strong and must be removed with enormous care, even if the battery has been removed. 

Batteries can’t be recycled in England because there aren’t any facilities to do this job, so it must go to Europe.  That means it has to be packed carefully so there’s no risk of injury, electrical explosion, fire or electric shock.  So, special boxes have to be used and these are expensive.  Once the battery is safely packed away, it has to be driven in specialist trucks too, with extra precautions and drivers that understand the importance of taking care of these hazardous objects. As you can imagine, this costs money, with Brexit, there’s plenty of paperwork and it’s a lengthy process that must be meticulously handled with care.

Once the battery componentry has been removed from the electric vehicle and before it’s move to Europe, it must be handled with great care, to avoid fire, injury or electric shock.  It’s important that any scrapyard you use has enough well-ventilated areas to store these types of batteries as they cannot be stacked on-top of each other.  They must also be kept away from other scrap componentry, such as cars as a whole, tyres, metal, fuel, fluid etc.

Motors

Electric motors in electric vehicles are also powerful objects.  They have magnetic properties so can’t be handled by anyone with a pacemaker because they can interfere with their mechanics.  Their magnetic properties are so strong, they can even move items in close proximity, so any person scrapping an electric vehicle has to be very careful and wear appropriate clothing to prevent any accidents.

Seamless Electric Car Recycling in Hertfordshire

So, you see, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to recycling your electric car in North London, Herts and Essex.   UKCarMovement always acts responsibly, safely and carefully dismantles electric cars, so there’s no risk involved.   Our trained recyclers understand that everything must be done in strict accordance with our stringent safety standards.   We do our best to make sure that all electric car batteries are recycled and partner with European facilities for safe delivery of any batteries we need to transport.  We use professional logistics companies to take these batteries to these special centres.  We really do our best to provide a seamless car scrapping service in Hertfordshire, putting our customers first while always maintaining our safety, yet we always give you the best possible car scrapping price.

To get a quote to recycle your electric vehicle, click here.