The European Union has proposed a regulation that will require manufacturers to use replaceable batteries in phones and laptops. This will also cover batteries that are used in portable appliances, and electric vehicles.
European Union wants replaceable batteries in devices and electric vehicles
Per the documentation posted on its website, the EU will make it mandatory for all batteries to carry labels with QR Codes, to provide information regarding their capacity, performance, durability, chemical composition. This will help users identify the model of their battery, and in turn help them search for a replacement. The cells will also bear a “separate collection” symbol for recycling purposes.
It will take a while before the EU Parliament discusses the proposal. Once the legislation comes into force, device manufacturers will have three and a half years, to make sure that portable batteries in their devices can be easily removed and replaced by users.
A lot of people buy new phones when their device’s battery doesn’t last long. I have read reports from many users, especially iPhone users, who claimed that their device actually became faster after replacing the battery. It turns out a phone could throttle its performance, if it detects that the battery’s life has degraded. Normally, a user may not relate this issue to the battery, they may just think their device has aged badly, and it’s time to move on to a new phone.
There’s also the problem of repairability, most phones these days don’t have a removable back panel, mainly because of the materials used, such as glass or metal. There are technical reasons for manufacturers to prevent the rear cover from being removed by the user, especially when it comes to the water resistance of the device, i.e. a non-removable cover seals the device to restrict the possibility of water entering the phone and damaging the internals. We should also consider the cost of replacing batteries due to such restrictions, it could be an expensive process that requires the service of a qualified professional. And of course, there is the problem of scarcity, when manufacturers stop making batteries for older devices, this also plays a role in the user’s decision to upgrade to a newer phone.
A user-replaceable battery is not only a cost-effective solution, but is also good for the environment. The rules proposed by the European Union address the issue further through a due diligence policy that manufacturers have to follow. It states that batteries must be made using recyclable materials, and should include 16% cobalt, 85% lead, 6% lithium, and 6% nickel.
It has also set a collection target for handling electronic waste and recycled materials; 45% by 2023, 63% by 2027 and 73% by 2030 for portable batteries. The EU is targeting 51% collection by 2028, and 61% by 2031 for LMT batteries. As TheNextWeb says, this is a rather ambitious target, it remains to be seen whether this would actually be achievable. The parliament wants to phase out non-removable batteries completely by 2030.
The EU has been making some impressive strides in managing the tech industry, a couple of months ago it passed a law that states all mobile phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, wearables, handheld video game consoles, etc., will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port. The rule comes into effect in 2024, but rumors suggest that we may see iPhones with a USB Type-C connector next year.
On a side note, the EU has also been rattling Apple’s cage with the Digital Markets Act that will force the Cupertino company to allow iOS and iPadOS users to install apps from third-party sources. The gatekeeping rules in the law will also impact browser apps on iPhones and iPads, they will not be limited to the WebKit engine, so we may see proper browsers like Mozilla Firefox based on the Gecko engine, Google Chrome with the Blink engine, etc.
