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Sustainable car materials in the circular economy
from VTE March 2023
by Possprint
A consortium of 19 leading industrial companies and research institutes, including the BMW Group, Evonik, Thyssenkrupp, the Fraunhofer Institute, and the Technical University of Munich, has set itself the goal of developing new processes for using sustainable materials for circular automotive production.
The project, which is funded for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), was launched at the end of last year.
The core of the “Future Sustainable Car Materials (FSCM)” initiative launched by BMW is to develop innovative process routes and material concepts for large parts of the value chain, thus enabling a circular economy in vehicle production.
According to the principle of the circular economy, materials must be kept in the value chain after they have reached the end of their useful life so that new objects, such as automotive parts, can be produced without the use of fossil resources. It is particularly challenging to keep these materials in the cycle while maintaining the same quality and safety properties.
Due to the high complexity of automotive manufacturing, the participants in the FSCM project are optimistic that the knowledge gained can also be applied to other industrial products in the future, such as commercial vehicles, electrical and household appliances, and will thus be a decisive impetus for future circular economy systems in the German economy.
Bp Places Largest Ever Order For Fast Chargers
Australian Tritium DCFC, a global leader in direct current (DC) fast chargers for electric vehicles (EVs), announced that bp has placed the largest ever order from a single customer in Tritium’s history.
bp will install the chargers for fleets and the general public in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia as bp expands its EV charging business, bp pulse.
bp’s order includes a mix of Tritium’s 50kW RTM and 150kW PKM chargers. Tritium’s RTM is the company’s first modular charger and one of the most advanced DC fast chargers on the market. Ideal for network operators, dealerships, and the retail and hospitality industries, the RTM uses a single person lift power module system for easier power upgrades, maintenance, and serviceability.
Tritium’s high-powered and modular 150kW PKM charger leverages a pool of shared power to deliver higher charger availability and power output, through Tritium’s innovative micro-grid design. The model is popular across fleets, network operators, heavy commercial units, retail and hospitality. Tritium anticipates manufacturing the chargers destined for bp’s European and American markets in the company’s Lebanon, Tennessee US facility, which opened in August 2022 and is expected to reach a production capacity of 30,000 units per year at full maturity.
The chargers for bp’s Australian market are expected to be manufactured in Tritium’s Brisbane factory, which has a capacity of 5,000 units per year.
The planned plant site is regarded as Britain’s best “shovel-ready” location to make EV batteries at scale, with the land already acquired and planning permission in place.
The British government under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had touted Britishvolt’s project as a major milestone toward building an EV industry as the country heads toward a ban on combustion engine cars in 2030.
Recharge Industries, which is building a lithium-ion cell factory in Australia expects to begin production next year.
Auto companies that have exited Russia
• British car distributor Inchcape (INCH.L) sold its Russian business to local management
• Italian truck and bus maker Iveco (IVG.MI) transferred its 33% stake in its AMT truck assembly joint venture in Russia to a local partner
• French tyre maker Michelin (MICP.PA) intends to transfer its activities in Russia to a new entity under local management
• Japanese automaker Nissan (7201.T) is transferring its Russian assets to state-owned NAMI, the Russian Central Research and Development Automobile and Engine Institute
• French carmaker Renault (RENA.PA) sold its majority stake in Avtovaz (AVAZI_p. MM) to NAMI, and transferred all shares in Renault Russia to the city of Moscow
• MAN Truck & Bus and Scania, units of German truck maker Traton (8TRA.DE), expect to sell their sales companies in Russia to local partners along with Scania’s Russian financing business by Q1 2023.
