Finland promises clearer guidance on used EV battery repairs

Finnish authorities will clarify their guidance on repairing electric-vehicle batteries, after the European Commission said a battery taken out of use does not automatically become waste, Yle reports. The commission said the battery can be removed for repair or reuse before the car is scrapped.

The Finnish Permit and Supervisory Agency said its guidance is in line with the EU position and that it will add examples to make the instructions clearer. The debate began after independent repair shops raised concerns that the existing guidance could prevent them from repairing older electric-car batteries.

The issue follows an EU battery regulation that came into force in August. Jesse Haapala, an electric-car repairer from Kokkola, raised concerns through a citizens’ initiative. He said the authorities’ interpretation could block independent workshops from repairing older batteries when manufacturers’ repair instructions are unavailable.

The guidance was drawn up jointly by the Permit and Supervisory Agency, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency and the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency.

MEP Anna-Maja Henriksson, who asked the European Commission for clarification, welcomed the agency’s promise to revise its guidance. She said independent workshops had understood that a battery from a used car could not be reused without becoming waste.

Henriksson said she interprets the agency’s statement as confirming that used battery components can be used as spare parts, and that doing so does not automatically constitute waste treatment or remanufacturing. She said that interpretation is important for both independent repair shops and electric-car owners, and added that authorities have a responsibility to communicate clearly.