ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES AS A NEW PARADIGM IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

This thesis has the aim of investigating the critical role of electric vehicle batteries, chosen as the new pattern towards sustainable development in the automotive sector. The European Union has emerged as a leader in this movement, particularly through the European Green Deal, aiming at achieving climate neutrality by 2050. After an analysis of the concept of global value chain, the text deepens the market of lithium-ion batteries, the most used type of power units in the automotive market nowadays, exploring all the stages of their global value chain from an economic and sustainability perspective, with an emphasis on the circular economy concept. The central objective of this text is to highlight the enablers and barriers to sustainable development in the lithium-ion batteries global value chain and how the European Union is addressing its challenges through its policies and initiatives. Through qualitative research based on a multiple case study analysis, involving key industry players such as Albemarle Europe SRL, FREYR Battery Norway, Exide Technologies and DENIOS, it has been possible to propose future strategies from a European legislative and industrial point of view.