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Batteries Under the Taxman's Lens, a Second Life for Waymo's Batteries, and Brussels vs. Chinese Hybrids
This week in the industry revolves around batteries and trade policy: China is once again taxing lithium-ion cells, a commercial energy storage installation powered by batteries from Waymo's robotaxis has launched in Texas, and the European Union is pressing Beijing over plug-in hybrid exports. We look at what these three threads mean for repair shops, parts suppliers, and the e-mobility market in Europe.
01 · E-Mobility
China Reinstates the Lithium-Ion Battery Tax – and Favors Sodium-Ion Technology
As of September 1, 2026, China's tax authorities have imposed a 2% consumption tax on lithium-ion batteries, ending an exemption that had been in place for a full eleven years [1]. And that's not the end of it – the rate is set to rise to 4% as early as 2027. Interestingly, sodium-ion batteries and solid-state cells have been exempted from the tax, all the way through the end of 2028 [1].
The decision looks like a deliberate piece of industrial policy: Beijing wants to curb overproduction in the overcrowded lithium sector while simultaneously rewarding newer, cheaper technologies that are less dependent on critical raw materials. For the European parts and accessories market, this is a signal that sodium-ion batteries could accelerate their commercialization faster than seemed likely just recently – and that will sooner or later be felt in the offerings of workshops servicing EV fleets.
02 · Battery Second Life
Batteries from Waymo's Robotaxis Get a Second Life in the Texas Power Grid
When it comes to what happens to batteries once their service life in a vehicle ends, an interesting example comes from the US. On September 9, 2026, B2U Storage Solutions' energy storage installation in Converse, Texas – with a capacity of 10 MW and 28 MWh, built from more than 700 used EV battery packs – reached commercial readiness [2].
The project is the result of a long-term agreement with Waymo, under which retired batteries from a fleet of roughly 3,000 electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles are given a second life as stationary energy storage. Ultimately, the entire program is meant to deliver hundreds of megawatts of storage capacity [2]. This is concrete, working proof that recycling and refurbishing traction batteries is no longer just theory but has become a real business – a direction the European service and recycling market is bound to follow sooner or later.
03 · Trade & Regulations
Brussels Presses Beijing to Curb Plug-In Hybrid Exports
From batteries, we move to a hot trade topic. On September 17, 2026, it was revealed that the European Commission had asked China to voluntarily limit its exports of plug-in hybrids to the European Union – cutting its current share of over a third of the market down to around 15% – threatening new tariffs should Beijing refuse [3].
The scale of the shift is striking: imports of Chinese plug-in hybrids into the EU grew from just 3,800 cars in October 2024 to around 50,000 in July 2026 [3]. Political pressure is also mounting within the Union – Germany's finance minister, during a visit to Volkswagen's plant in Wolfsburg, called on Brussels to send Beijing a "clear signal" on the matter [3]. If the dispute ends in new tariffs or voluntary export limits, the structure of vehicle imports into Europe could shift in the coming months – bringing changes to demand for spare parts, servicing, and accessories tailored to specific models.
Summary
Summary
This week shows just how tightly tax decisions, technology pilots, and trade policy are now woven together into a single automotive ecosystem – from China's tax authorities, through Texas energy storage facilities, to trade negotiations in Brussels. All of these threads will sooner or later show up on European workshop lifts and in parts warehouses. Want to stay up to date and discuss it live with industry experts? Join us at Targi Techniki Motoryzacyjnej – Automotive Parts Expo 2026.
Invitation
Battery taxes, the second life of EV batteries, and trade tensions around hybrids are just some of the topics we'll be discussing live with experts and suppliers. Visit Targi Techniki Motoryzacyjnej – Automotive Parts Expo 2026 to see the latest solutions in diagnostics, e-mobility, and workshop equipment. Let's meet on the show floor and talk about what's ahead for the industry in the coming months.
Automotive Parts Expo 2026Footnotes
[1] pv magazine Global — https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/09/01/china-restores-2-lithium-ion-battery-tax-after-11-year-exemption/[2] Discovery Alert — https://discoveryalert.com/news/b2u-second-life-battery-storage-pipeline-september-2026/
[3] CnEVPost — https://cnevpost.com/2026/09/17/eu-seeks-curbs-chinese-hybrid-exports/