Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are all striving toward the goal of developing an eco-friendly vehicle that is recyclable
Cast components with holes and cacti in place of leather are examples of how automobile makers are increasingly turning to more environmentally friendly materials. This may eventually become profitable for the younger demographic of customers as well.
Car manufacturing results in the exploitation of animals, the destruction of forests, and the contamination of seas. The interiors of most vehicles are mostly made of leather, wood, and a variety of plastics. The majority of the body and load-bearing components are constructed out of steel, iron, and aluminum. The manufacturing process for these materials requires a lot of energy and water.
The move toward electric drives is making the industry a huge step closer to being environmentally friendly. This is due to the fact that electric cars have a greatly reduced number of separate components and do not release any greenhouse gases while in operation. However, this does not mean that the production of automobiles is good to the environment. Because of regulations, the industry is going to have to adjust that. In addition, investors need a sustainable approach in accordance with ESG standards (environmental, social, governance).
The manufacturers have responded with many significant announcements: BMW's goal is to develop the "most environmentally friendly" electric vehicle; Mercedes's goal is to create the most fuel-efficient vehicle; and Volkswagen's promise is to make mobility a reality for all future generations. The sector has committed to placing a greater emphasis on the use of materials that can be recycled. In addition, the producers of automobiles are doing research and development on totally unique materials while simultaneously cutting down on their use of various resources.
Instead of being made of leather, these car seats are constructed of cactus and banana.
The first alterations that are going to become readily apparent to drivers are going to be made inside the cabin. In the not too distant future, leather surfaces may be made out of olive leaves, cactus, or a combination of fibers derived from bananas and coconuts. Plastics and composite materials derived from petroleum may be successfully replaced with alternatives such as those made from ocean plastic, coffee grounds, wheat straw, or rice husks.
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute are now looking at the kinds of materials that are used in the construction of car cabins as part of a research. According to what the experts have said, "the design of the car inside provides a huge potential for sustainable advancements."
Automobile purchasers' objectives are evolving as a result of the convergence of electromobility and digitalisation. Because electric drives are becoming more standardized, there will be less of an emphasis placed on the specific characteristics of particular engines in the long run. In consequence, automated driving tasks provide drivers more time to deal with the interior operations of a car, which is a significant benefit. Because of this, the interior design is also playing an increasingly crucial part in the decision-making process about the purchase.
Young buyers pay a premium for environmentally friendly automobiles.
According to the findings of a research conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute, younger consumers in particular are showing a growing interest in learning more about the provenance of the materials used and the methods by which they were processed. A higher readiness to pay was also mentioned by the co-author Franziska Braun in an interview with the Handelsblatt. She said, "There are some clients, notably younger ones, who are prepared to pay an extra for sustainable items."
On the other side, there are some buyers who believe that using recycled material lowers the product's overall quality. According to Braun, "it is consequently difficult for automakers to make the appropriate judgment when picking different materials for the inside."
In the future, automobile manufacturers will be required to give utmost consideration to these challenging issues. After all, the extent to which businesses take environmental responsibility seriously will have a growing impact on their economic performance.
The vegan-friendly BMW is scheduled to debut in 2023.
In 2023, BMW plans to be the first automaker to provide automobiles with surfaces made entirely of vegan materials. According to a list compiled by the group Peta, numerous automakers, including Opel, Ford, Toyota, and Dacia, now provide basic interior components including surfaces, seats, steering wheels, and gear knobs in their cars that do not include any ingredients derived from animals.
As a consequence of this, it is no longer necessary to kill animals for manufacture, and this leads to a large reduction in CO2 emissions—for example, a reduction of an astounding 85 percent in the case of vegan BMW steering wheels. Because of the potential for a more favorable climatic balance, Volvo plans to stop selling cars constructed using traditional materials by the year 2030. These materials include recycled PET bottles, wine corks, and organic materials sourced from the forests of Scandinavia.
In addition, the environmental commitment lends itself well to effective public relations. According to the findings of a researcher at Fraunhofer named Braun, "We are now noticing that an increasing number of automobile manufacturers are attempting to transmit a sustainable brand image via advertising."
The Mercedes-Benz EQS is made up of just 3.3% environmentally friendly raw materials.
However, public perception and the truth may not always align. Therefore, it seems that your search for totally vegan equipment versions at the Volkswagen Group is still fruitless. There are only environmentally friendly materials used, such as those woven into the seat fabric or polymers that are environmentally friendly.
Even the Mercedes EQS, which is widely considered to be one of Germany's most environmentally friendly electric vehicles, is made up of just 3.3% renewable raw materials and recycled material.
In a car that weighs a total of 2.4 tons, more than two-thirds of the vehicle is composed of metals that are light, non-ferrous, and special. These metals include steel and iron. The total weight of the 82.3 kilos of the 287 components created using materials that conserved resources is just 82.3 kilograms.
The prices are still quite high, but the demand is not that great.
The increased expenses are one of the issues that will arise as a result of the transition. According to Braun, "at the moment, automobile makers are required to settle for higher manufacturing costs if they utilize environmentally friendly materials since demand is still rather low." It is only when there is a greater demand that economies of scale will be possible, which will bring the price of environmentally friendly materials closer to that of conventional materials.
Therefore, one of the proclaimed development goals of Mercedes is to remove everything from the metal structural sections of the vehicle that is not essential for reasons related to safety. In subsequent versions, it's possible that the load-bearing components of the rear end will be riddled with holes. This results in a savings of both material and money.
Mercedes aims to take a cue from mother nature by incorporating bionic components into its vehicles.
Mercedes refers to bionic structures, such as a honeycomb, which are based on natural phenomena. Other manufacturers are also finding inspiration in nature and are now investigating the degree to which materials that are not typically used in the building of automobiles are appropriate for such construction. For example, the hood, top, and cargo area of the Citroen "Oli" are all constructed out of corrugated cardboard and fiberglass panels. It is stated that an adult can stand on the honeycomb construction of the concept automobile, which was created in collaboration with BASF. The honeycomb structure was designed to be very rigid and sturdy.
The "Oli" has a distinct advantage in this regard since it only weighs a thousand kilos. A very modest battery with a capacity of forty kilowatt hours is all that is required for the car in order to attain an electric range of four hundred kilometers. The fact that a typical family automobile sold now weighs around one and a half tons more than it did in the 1970s is something that Citroen executives see as a mistake.
"We need to reverse the trends by making cars lighter and cheaper and finding new methods to optimize utilization," says Vincent Cobée, the head of Citroen. "We need to reverse the trends."
Closed material cycles are required for the automobiles of the future.
Are automobiles made of cardboard the way of the future? Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, the director of the Center for Automotive Research, is quoted as saying, "I believe it's more of a PR gimmick" (CAR). On the other hand, bionic structural components and closed material cycles would have what is referred to as a "major influence" on the industry. For instance, Audi has already begun the process of getting the windshields for the Q4 e-tron rebuilt from broken pieces of auto glass.
In the future, the battery, which serves as the core component of every electric vehicle in particular, will need to be recycled to the greatest extent feasible in order to preserve both prices and the ecological equilibrium. Because decommissioned automobiles have the potential to serve as the mine of the twenty-first century, it is desirable that, in the long run, no new raw materials will need to be mined in order to create electric cars.
Despite this, the rates of recovery for lithium, nickel, and cobalt are still quite low. Only around 30 percent of the materials that go into the production of new automobiles are recycled at this time. When it comes to the process of developing a circular economy, the sector is only getting started.
