What happens to a car once it leaves the factory? For many in the automotive industry, the answer remains a mystery, one that must be solved to drive true circularity. Hanna Lindén, Senior Researcher at RISE, Sweden’s research institute and innovation partner, shares insights from The Circular Car project, a groundbreaking collaboration uniting 18 diverse partners from across the vehicle value chain. From dismantlers to designers, the project partners explore the power of collective learning, the role of regulation, and the digital tools reshaping the future of sustainable mobility.
Uniting the Value Chain for a Greener Drive
A key benefit of collaborating with partners across different parts of the value chain is that it gives us a more holistic understanding of the overall landscape. We gain insight into each partner’s specific challenges and opportunities, allowing us to approach problems from multiple perspectives rather than a single viewpoint. This broader understanding helps us see how the actions or knowledge of one stakeholder can directly address the needs or questions of another. With 18 partners involved, it can sometimes be challenging to ensure equal engagement. However, the three-year duration of the project provides the time and flexibility needed to foster a collaborative environment where partners can participate in various studies throughout the project.
Why Full Lifecycle Visibility Is Key to Automotive Circularity
We’ve found that understanding the full lifecycle of a product is crucial, but often overlooked. After a vehicle is sold, manufacturers typically lose visibility into what happens next, especially in detail. Through our project, which includes partners from across the entire value chain, from manufacturers to dismantlers, we’re able to help bridge these knowledge gaps. For example, we organize study visits to different partners, sparking discussions and enabling participants to learn about the product at each stage of its life. This kind of insight is essential when aiming to develop more eco-friendly designs and circular business models.
Reuse vs. Remanufacturing in the Circular Economy
To build a more sustainable society, we need a mix of strategies, including reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling. However, it’s important to prioritize keeping as much value in products as possible for as long as possible. This means favoring options like refurbishment and resale before moving to recycling, which is typically the last step in the value chain. While there may be competing interests between remanufacturers and recyclers, aligning around value preservation can guide more sustainable decisions.
How ELV Regulations Are Reshaping the Vehicle Recycling Landscape
There are many incoming regulations aiming for sustainability and circularity, targeting the need for industry transition. There will probably be changes to the stakeholder networks with new regulations and demands. This can create challenges, but also generate opportunities for those who are proactive.
The Emerging Role of Digital Product Passports in Automotive Recycling
Digital product passports (DPPs) are introduced in, for example, the Battery Regulation and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). DPPs are said to be the future way of sharing information. There is still a lot of development left to fully understand the way that DDPs will influence the industry. However, it is clear that information, traceability and transparency will be an even more important aspect of future manufacturing, along product life cycles.
Exploring the Road Ahead: Scenario Thinking for a Circular Automotive Future
We have applied a scenario methodology with the partners in the project. The idea has been to inspire and investigate what alternative future scenarios might unfold. This helps in discussions, so that we are not stuck in current contexts only, but also have the opportunity to question current ways and truths. A circular transition implies courageous stakeholders who dare to question today’s way of doing things and engage in activities needed for tomorrow’s society.
To find out more about RISE, please visit https://www.ri.se/en
To find out more about The Circular Car project, please visit https://www.ri.se/en/expertise-areas/projects/the-circular-car
