Sustainable car from which four times more material can be reused in new cars

October 11, 2024 – On 11th  October, the student team TU/ecomotive from Eindhoven University of Technology unveiled the Phoenix, a sustainable electric car designed for optimal recyclability. By using monomaterial structures and smart assembly methods, up to 75 % of the vehicle can be reused in new cars. This marks a significant improvement over the current closed-loop recycling rate of just 21% in the European automotive industry.

Closed-loop recycling, where materials can be endlessly reused without quality loss, differs from downcycling, where recycled materials are turned into lower-quality products. Although 88% of materials from cars are recycled, downcycling often leads to quality degradation, causing valuable materials to leave the sector. The Phoenix aims to address this issue and set a new standard for a circular economy where valuable materials are preserved. Through clever design choices, the recycling process becomes more efficient, and material quality deteriorates less rapidly after reuse.

Much more at the Eindhoven University>