BMW Group has shown that materials recovered from end-of-life vehicles can meet quality standards for reuse in new vehicle manufacturing, based on findings from the Car2Car research project.
The initiative, carried out with a consortium of industry and academic partners, examined whether expanded processing and sorting methods could improve material recovery rates across five key material categories.
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Under standard market conditions – tested through a vehicle recycling trial involving minimal mandatory dismantling – the so-called “Car2Car rate” stood at just 6%.
This rate measures the share of end-of-life vehicle materials that can be recovered at a quality level suitable for new industrial use.
Additional process engineering and refined processing routes raised this to 51%.
By material, steel recovery rose from 1% to 81%, aluminium increased from 23% to 52%, and copper improved from 48% to 68%, through techniques including enhanced pre-sorting, adapted shredding, classification, sensor-based sorting and more accurate separation of aluminium alloys, BMW said.
For steel, the project tackled a persistent problem: copper contamination from cables and connectors has long prevented end-of-life scrap being used in high-grade automotive steel.
An additional sorting stage cut copper contamination, producing material suitable as feedstock for new flat steel meeting automotive specifications.
BMW has filed a patent application covering the process.
Steel coils made this way were tested and used in industrial production at BMW’s Leipzig plant, manufacturing more than 100,000 series parts for vehicles.
The project noted that recycling infrastructure for steel, aluminium and copper is already established, whereas plastics and glass face greater technical barriers due to material variety, complex composite structures and quality requirements.
Bringing recycled plastics up to standard will need tailored process chains combining multiple technologies, the group said.
BMW said the findings will inform its Design for Circularity approach and could support cooperation with recycling partners such as PreZero, adding that outcomes depend on factors including access to vehicles, market conditions, investment and viable business models.
BMW Group business development senior vice president Alexander Efthimiou said: “The circular economy is an integral part of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy. Car2Car shows that its full potential can be realised when the entire value chain is optimised.
“Together with our partners, we are using the project findings to develop new process and business models that combine environmental and economic benefits, and advance the transition towards a circular automotive industry.”
