The SUBAT-project evaluates the opportunity to keep nickel–cadmium traction batteries for electric vehicles on the exemption list of European Directive 2000/53 on End-of-Life Vehicles. The aim of the SUBAT-project is to deliver a complete assessment of commercially available and forthcoming battery technologies for battery-electric, hybrid or fuel cell vehicles. This assessment includes a technical, an economical and an environmental study of the different battery technologies, including the nickel–cadmium technology. In a general perspective, the impacts of the different battery technologies should be analysed individually to allow the comparison of the different chemistries (lead–acid, nickel–cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, lithium-ion, sodium–nickel chloride, …) and to enable the definition of the most environmentally friendly battery technology for electrically propelled vehicles. The project officially ran from 2004-01-01 to 2005-03-31. This paper summarizes the outcome of the project at the time of the submission of the paper, i.e. January 2005.