The future of electric-vehicle batteries

I believe John Mahony (Sep 14) is on the money with concerns about electric-vehicle battery disposal. Also, imagine how much battery acid is going to be swilling around.

It’s all symptomatic of science and technology providing ‘‘solutions’’ with questionable quality or value. It’s time to go back to the drawing board.

For example, can someone design a vehicle that removes carbon dioxide, or whatever gas is deemed the current problem, from the environment and excretes carbon bricks. A supercharged catalytic converter, if you like.

How about designing ships that filter plastic from seawater? Then get these devices out there doing their usual work, but with added value. Nick Summerhayes St Albans

Recycling is possible

May I assure John Mahoney electricvehicle batteries are far too valuable to be ‘‘disposed of’’.

After they have reached their use-by date, or more correctly their performance has dropped to 80 per cent of new, they are repurposed as solar-panel support for homes and businesses.

When their performance there is sub-par, they go back to the factory to be recycled.

It can be argued that devices and products that wind up in the dump should be separated and conserved in a dry spot, like Central Otago. When their value as raw materials becomes apparent, we won’t have to mine Kate Valley. Ian Orchard Papanui