Mercedes-Benz Accelerates EV Decarbonization With Recycled Aluminum

The German automaker is strengthening its collaboration with Norway’s Hydro to accelerate decarbonization. Future electric models will use materials composed of at least 75% post-consumer recycled aluminum.

Mercedes-Benz is expanding its partnership with Norwegian aluminum and renewable energy group Hydro, with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of its supply chain and increasing the use of recycled materials in the production of next generations of electric vehicles.

The new agreement envisages, as a first step, the series production of Hydro CIRCAL, a recycled aluminum containing at least 75% post-consumer material, recovered from end-of-life automobiles, buildings, and infrastructure. Mercedes-Benz thus becomes the first European automotive manufacturer to use this material in the series production of its future large electric models.

This represents a step up from the aluminum currently used by the company, which contains approximately 25% recycled content. Increasing the recycling rate, the two companies say, will keep aluminum in circulation longer, reducing the need for new raw materials and significantly reducing the CO₂ emissions associated with its production.

A partnership started in 2022

The agreement represents the evolution of a collaboration that began in 2022 , when Mercedes-Benz and Hydro signed a letter of intent to develop a technology roadmap for low-emission aluminum. In 2024, the cooperation was extended to the entire value chain, from raw material procurement to the finished component intended for automotive production.

In addition to recycled aluminum, Mercedes-Benz already uses Hydro REDUXA, a primary aluminum produced by electrolysis powered by renewable energy. According to Hydro, this material has a carbon footprint that is 70 percent lower than the global average for primary aluminum. The new phase of the collaboration aims to also increase the volumes of this material and further reduce emissions over time.

Mercedes-Benz’s decarbonisation goals

For Mercedes-Benz, the agreement is part of its production decarbonization strategy. The manufacturer aims to reduce CO₂ emissions from its plants by 80% by 2030 and to make all materials purchased for the production of cars and light commercial vehicles carbon neutral by 2039.

According to Yanni von Roy-Jiang, Head of Purchasing and Supplier Management at Mercedes-Benz, the supply chains of the future will be characterized by greater transparency, a circular economy, and more resilient regional supply chains. The agreement with Hydro, he emphasized, demonstrates how industrial competitiveness and emissions reduction can go hand in hand.

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(Featured image by Aaron Huber via Unsplash)

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First published in ESG NEWS. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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