A consortium of 28 European partners wants to develop a "Circular Car Concept" in the EU project ZEvRA.

Against the backdrop of EU guidelines, according to which new vehicles are to be made almost entirely from recycled parts by 2035 and the consumption of new raw materials for car production is to be reduced to almost zero, the project participants, including five car manufacturers, want to develop a virtual "Circular Car Concept" based on a series model from Skoda under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU). For demonstration purposes, they are also planning to design a car with parts made from recycled materials that meet the criteria of the circular economy. The main objective of ZEvRA - Zero Emission electric vehicles enabled by haRmonized circulArity - is reportedly to improve the circularity of electric vehicles throughout their value chain, from material sourcing to manufacturing and end-of-life processes. At the heart of the project is the development of a methodology for circular design and a holistic cycle assessment. According to the IWU, the most important materials that make up more than 84 percent of the material mix of a typical electric vehicle are being examined: steel, aluminum (rolled, cast and foamed), thermoplastic composites, plastics, glass, tires and rare earths. The solutions developed are said to be supported by a range of digital tools to ensure circularity, traceability and the virtual integration of components into a fully reproducible vehicle. As a result, the CO₂ footprint per vehicle is to be reduced by at least 25 percent in the future. According to the IWU, major suppliers such as Faurecia and Continental are participating in ZEvRA alongside car manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Skoda and Stellantis (including Peugeot, Citroën and Opel).
 
Further information: Project information from the EU Commission
 
Sources:

• Press release IWU (12.3.2024)
• Picture: © IWU (AI-generated image, Adobe Firefly)