TU/e Students Innovate Sustainable Car Design Allowing Four Times More Material Reuse
Phoenix is the newest and highly sustainable electric car developed by students at TU Eindhoven. Through smart assembly and the use of mono-material structures (structures made from a single type of material), the vehicle can be reused for up to 75 percent in the next generation of cars. In contrast, existing cars in Europe have a much lower so-called closed-loop recycling rate of only 21 percent.
Closed-loop recycling means that a material can be endlessly reused without significant loss of quality or certain properties. This differs from downcycling, which is a common reuse process in the automotive industry, where recycled materials are repurposed into products of lower quality or reduced functionality. This typically occurs because the recycled materials are often mixed with other substances, preventing them being reused in their pure form.
Although the sector organization Auto Recycling Nederland (ARN) reports that 88 percent of car materials are reused, the majority of these materials end up outside of vehicles due to quality loss during downcycling, resulting in the materials being processed into products such as pens and clothing. With over six million vehicles being discarded in Europe each year—generating millions of tons of waste— improving the recycling process across the industry could help reduce serious environmental issues and preserve large amounts of valuable materials.
Circular Economy
With Phoenix, the goal of student team TU/ecomotive is to achieve the highest possible percentage of closed-loop recycling, where materials can be recovered and reused in their original state in new products of the same kind. Due to the smart design of Phoenix, they have succeeded in setting a new standard for a circular economy and better recycling within the sector while preserving valuable materials.
The secret lies primarily in the mono-material structures, utilizing a minimal variety of materials, and smart attachment methods where materials are not permanently bonded together. As a result, the quality of the materials does not degrade quickly after reuse, and recycling efficiency is improved.
Optimizing Battery Lifespan
Additionally, batteries are generally challenging to reuse. Therefore, optimizing the lifespan of batteries is crucial. The team has achieved this by integrating both fixed and removable batteries into the car. The removable batteries are used only for long distances, increasing the driving range by more than 60 percent. Furthermore, these batteries can also be used to charge electrical devices at home when the car is not in use. Since the removable batteries are less intensively used, they last longer.
Brussels Regulations
With Phoenix, TU/ecomotive is also responding to changing regulations from Brussels. A new regulation from the European Commission aims to enhance circularity in the automotive industry during design and production. It states that vehicles must consist of a set percentage of 25 percent recycled plastic, of which 25 percent must be closed-loop recycled from cars. This means that the total amount of closed-loop recycled material must be 6.25 percent.
While this percentage can be higher, the students see it as a step in the right direction. “The European Commission is heading in the right direction, but more is needed to truly transform the industry,” explains Tim van Grinsven, team manager of TU/ecomotive.
Van Grinsven elaborates that the team’s goal is to inspire the automotive industry to design more sustainably. “The earth does not provide unlimited resources, so using materials more efficiently is the solution. Phoenix is our answer to that challenge, and we invite the industry to join us in tackling it together.”