KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 -- The lithium-ion battery powering your sleek new electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid cars may last eight to 10 years, but what happens after that?

This question is becoming increasingly urgent for Malaysia as the country embraces the electric vehicle revolution. Automotive giants like Tesla and BYD have established local operations, and homegrown automaker like Proton venturing into the EV market.

Whilst the nation pushes towards 10,000 charging stations by 2025 and greater EV adoption, the lifecycle of lithium-ion batteries - typically eight to 10 years - presents a mounting environmental challenge. By 2050, Malaysia will need to process 870,000 depleted batteries, for which robust systems for collection, processi...