Renault’s subsidiaries showcase developments in recycling, repair, and refurbishment
Image: Renault
The Future is Neutral, a subsidiary of the Renault Group and environmental services provider SUEZ, is presenting its circular economy model for automakers and suppliers at Automechanika in Frankfurt/Main. Along with its subsidiaries The Remakers, Gaia, Indra Automobile Recycling, and Opisto, the company offers services for refurbishment, recycling, repair, and reuse. A focus is placed on electric motors and batteries.
The Remakers presents a new European solution for recycling electric motors and showcases the recycling process of the 6AM electric motor at the trade show. The recycled motors are designed to match new motors in terms of performance and reliability, while costing approximately 30 percent less on average. The existing product range also includes the 5A electric motor and the Power Electronic Controller.
According to The Remakers, a life cycle analysis examined eight representative product families of recycled components using five environmental indicators. For recycled electric motors, environmental impact was reduced by at least 67 percent in all five categories, while for recycled power electronics used in electric vehicles, it was reduced by at least 47 percent. Among the product families studied, components for electric vehicles showed the greatest environmental benefits.
Gaia offers solutions for material recycling, battery repair, and component reuse. Depending on their condition, batteries can be repaired for further use in vehicles, prepared for a “second life,” or sent to recycling. Additionally, Gaia provides automakers and suppliers with solutions for unused or damaged components from the manufacturing process.
Indra Automobile Recycling introduces its “Valeur 2030” strategy plan along with services related to eco-design, recycling, and repairability. The company incorporates factors such as repairability, disassemblability, recyclability, and reusability already in the design and development phase. This approach enables recycling rates of over 85 percent and reusability rates of more than 95 percent.
Opisto offers several million traceable, verified, and guaranteed recycled parts through its website. In addition, it provides a software solution for end-of-life vehicle recycling centers that enables the distribution of parts inventory to repair shops and private customers. According to the Renault Group, these recycled parts are on average 70 percent cheaper than new parts.
The Future is Neutral covers, according to its own claims, the value chain of the circular economy in the automotive industry, from the collection and processing of end-of-life vehicles to material recycling. This includes the reuse of components and the reprocessing of batteries as well.
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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive industry and finance sector. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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