Consortium project: ReDriveS - Automated and digitalised circular economy solutions for electric axle drive systems as key technologies in electromobility; sub-project: Life cycle assessment of all dismantling, processing and recycling processes

The project aims to develop economically viable and environmentally beneficial circular economy solutions for electric axle drives. Through automated dismantling processes, innovative recycling methods for rare-earth magnets and the use of digital twins, cross-sectoral foundations for sustainable electromobility are being laid.

ReDriveS addresses three key themes of the mobility transition: digitalisation, sustainability and system capability. The focus is on:

• the development of automated, robot-guided dismantling systems for electric axle drives,
• recycling processes for rare-earth magnets (NdFeB) and other strategic materials, and
• the establishment of a digital ecosystem with digital twins for cross-manufacturer data usage.

The project makes a significant contribution to the resilience of the value chain in electromobility and plays an important role in meeting future recycling targets and reducing the carbon footprint of electric vehicles in Germany and Europe. The project is coordinated by Schaeffler AG. It will run for 36 months and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). TÜV Rheinland Forschungs- und Innovationsmanagement GmbH is the project management organisation.

Within ReDriveS, the Oeko-Institut is responsible for the environmental assessment of all developed treatment and recycling processes for electric axle drives, using life cycle assessments that comply with relevant standards.