From end-of-life vehicles to new cars: Car2Car research project proves high-quality material loops feasible at industrial scale

The BMW Group and its consortium partners have proven through the Car2Car research project that high-quality material loops are technically viable in the automotive industry. By expanding processing and sorting conditions, the project increased the “Car2Car rate”—the percentage of materials from end-of-life vehicles recoverable at high enough quality for reuse in new industrial applications—from 6% to 51%. The most significant recovery gains were achieved for steel, aluminium, and copper, while plastics and glass remain challenging due to technological hurdles. The project’s findings underscore the necessity of advanced process engineering, including improved pre-sorting, modified shredding, sensor-based material stream sorting, and precise aluminium alloy separation. Under standard market methods, the trial achieved a 6% Car2Car rate across five material groups with minimal compulsory dismantling. With optimized processing routes, the rate surged to 51%, with steel rising from 1% to 81%, aluminium from 23% to 52%, and copper from 48% to 68%. The project also demonstrated a breakthrough in steel recycling: targeted sorting reduced copper contamination, enabling high-quality steel scrap suitable for automotive-grade flat steel. A patent has been filed for this process, and over 100,000 series parts were produced at BMW Group Plant Leipzig using recycled steel coils, proving the concept along a real industrial value chain. However, scaling these solutions requires additional investments in disassembly, sorting, and recycling infrastructure, as well as supportive regulatory frameworks. While metals like steel, aluminium, and copper show strong potential for circular economy applications, plastics and glass still lack solutions that meet automotive quality standards due to complex composite structures and stringent requirements. The Car2Car project’s insights will directly inform next-generation circular vehicle concepts, highlighting the path forward for sustainable automotive manufacturing.