Recently, t2oS drove the Volvo EX30 electric SUV. According to its manufacturer: “Volvo EX30 is designed to have the lowest carbon footprint of any Volvo car to date and represents an important step forward for the firm’s sustainability ambitions. By tackling emissions across the entire production and lifecycle, as well as a considerate use of materials inside and out, Volvo managed to reduce its total carbon footprint over 200,000km of driving to below 30 tonnes.”
Meanwhile, BMW, which unveiled its electric iX3 model last month, has this to say about it: “A variety of measures ensures that the product carbon footprint of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive over its full life cycle — based on a mileage of 200,000 kilometres (124,260 miles) — is 34 per cent smaller than that of its predecessor.” The model is based on the manufacturer’s ‘Design for Circularity’ principles, which means that the objective is to make the entire car recyclable.
There is recycled material in the seats, the door, the floor mats, and even the dashboard
For starters, around one-third of the new BMW iX3 is made from secondary raw materials. BMW says that the storage compartment under the front hatch and the engine compartment cover are made from 30 per cent recycled marine plastic. The base material of the yarn for the Econeer seat textile, the headliner (textile) and the floor-mat carpet is made from 100 per cent recycled PET.
Volvo is on the same road. Its Particle Decor material in the dashboard is made up of ground plastic waste from discarded PVC window frames and roller shutters and the carrier of the decor consists of 30 per cent recycled content, it says. Moreover, the EX30 has Pixel Knit and Nordico upholstery, that is, the seats’ upper parts and the door inserts are upholstered with knitted textile in 100 per cent recycled polyester from PET bottles. The cushions and lower backrests are in Nordico — a smooth, bio-attributed material partly made from pine oil with recycled PET in the backing. And the floor mats are made of recycled polyamide and partially disposed fishing nets.
To be fair, recycling isn’t new. Metals like steel and aluminium, which are used in the Volvo EX30 as well as the new BMW iX3, and pretty much all cars, have been recycled to reduce costs since they are cheaper than metal from ore. But the extent of use of other recycled materials, especially plastics, has grown significantly in recent times as manufacturers look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. The trend is particularly noticeable in electric vehicles, with lots of them using recycled plastics starting from high-end makers like Mercedes-Benz and Audi to more affordable brands like Toyota, Ford and Nissan.
The push is partially from the EU’s End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive and other similar legislation that requires an increasing percentage of a car’s weight to be reusable/ recyclable material. China, too, is pushing for increasing use of recycled metal and plastic in new vehicles.
There are other benefits as well. Energy use is lower since recycling aluminum, steel, or plastics requires up to 95 per cent less energy than producing virgin materials. Using recycled metals cuts demand for raw ore, reducing deforestation, water pollution, and habitat destruction. And companies like BMW are designing cars to be disassembled and recycled at the end of their lives.
With smaller carbon footprints, cars make the brand look good and appeal to environmentally conscious younger buyers. Costs are lower and supply chains are less exposed to price fluctuations.
The sticking point in practical recycling so far is the battery. A fund manager who invests in energy companies says that while the technology to recycle batteries is easily available, in terms of costs it is still cheaper to make and use new batteries and a technology that flips the equation has still proved elusive. With batteries being a big part of EVs by weight, that is one thing car companies will need to find a way to do on the cheap.
Till then, expect to see and touch lots more of other recycled bits in new cars.