The mobility transition
The mobility sector is facing a radical transformation process towards a sustainable circular economy. Future legal requirements stipulate the increased utilization of recycled materials and the recovery of strategic raw materials in order to reduce geopolitical dependencies. Innovative surface technologies can play a decisive role in the development of durable, resource-conserving and recyclable solutions for mobility.
The transformation of the mobility industry presents an enormous global challenge and necessitates not only innovative strategies for the sustainable utilization of materials but also resource-conserving production processes. Traditional linear production methods result in high resource consumption and considerable environmental pollution, in particular through greenhouse gases that are harmful to the climate. In view of the enormous pressure of costs in the mobility sector, the Fraunhofer IST is developing sustainable solutions for surface technologies that enable an efficient circular economy. The responsible approach towards materials and the reduction of CO2 emissions are thereby continuously gaining in importance as it is necessary to fulfill the requirements of future legislation within the framework of the Green Deal.
The EU has already defined ambitious recycling quotas in order to drive forward the circular economy within the mobility sector. For example, the new ELV Directive (End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, 2000/53/EC) stipulates that from 2031, a minimum of 25 % of the plastic used in new vehicles must come from post-consumer recycling and end-of-life vehicles. In combination with further measures, the aim is to achieve an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 12.3 million tons by 2035, improved recycling of 5.4 million tons of materials, and increased recovery of important raw materials. In order to achieve these decarbonization targets throughout the entire life cycle of a vehicle, it is becoming increasingly important for production methods to become more sustainable, product-usage phases to be extended, and recycling processes to be implemented.
In order to achieve these goals, innovative technologies are required that close material cycles and reduce emissions. This is where the Fraunhofer Center Circular Economy for Mobility CCEM in Wolfsburg comes into its own. At the Fraunhofer CCEM, the Fraunhofer IST is working in collaboration with the Fraunhofer institutes IFAM, IWU and WKI on the development of solutions that encompass the entire automotive-industry value chain – from material production, through the manufacturing process, and on to the automated reconditioning and dismantling of battery cells, recycling and the development of holistic approaches for Life Cycle Assessment. One particular focus thereby lies on surface technologies for circular processes that enable the efficient application of secondary materials and renewable raw resources, extend the service life of components, and support environmentally-friendly end-of-life strategies for products.
Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST