Powerful lithium batteries in written-off EVs now hot property at salvage auctions

A lithium battery that is down to 70% capacity considerably reduces the range and desirability of an electric vehicle, but it still holds plenty of charge for less-intensive uses. Photograph: Artur Debat/Getty Images

Written-off vehicles typically earn little attention, with the main buyers usually being auto wreckers seeking parts or car enthusiasts hunting for restoration projects.

But at salvage auctions across Australia, a new type of buyer is emerging, and they are interested in one thing: the high-powered batteries inside electric vehicles.