European Mobility Week: vehicle maintenance as a strategy for sustainability

In the automotive industry, the term ‘sustainability’ is often synonymous with electrification. But the transition towards low-environmental-impact mobility is not solely about the type of engine under the bonnet. Companies in the automotive aftermarket are well aware of this, having long invested in resource conservation, remanufacturing, circularity and the optimisation of production cycles. These themes will be at the heart of the 31st edition of Autopromotec.

One factor that plays an important, albeit less obvious, role is vehicle maintenance throughout its entire life cycle. A car with tyres at the correct pressure, suitable brakes, filters and lubricants, and fuel systems in optimal condition reduces fuel consumption and emissions. But that’s not all. Identifying faults and wear and tear in good time, thanks to predictive maintenance, prevents a minor issue from turning into a more serious breakdown, which would otherwise result in the need to replace more components. Extending the service life of a component therefore means avoiding, where technically possible, replacing it sooner than necessary. And this is where the circular economy comes into play.

Metals, plastics, rubber and other materials from end-of-life products can be recovered and reintroduced into production processes in the form of secondary raw materials. The use of recycled materials thus helps to reduce the reliance on virgin resources and to make use of what, in a linear model, would be destined to become waste. A concrete example comes from the world of tyres. Retreading allows a tyre carcass that is still fit for purpose to be recovered and fitted with a new tread, thereby giving the tyre a new lease of life. This process makes use of a significant part of the original product and reduces the demand for raw materials. It is a process that naturally requires high production standards and rigorous quality controls, but it represents one of the most immediate applications of the principles of the circular economy.

Even more topical is the issue of remanufacturing, the industrial regeneration of components, which, together with the provisions of the legislation on end-of-life vehicles (ELV), enables the recovery of reusable components. In the case of remanufacturing, it is not simply a matter of repairing a worn-out part: the component is dismantled, cleaned, inspected and subjected to a refurbishment process in which parts that are no longer fit for purpose are replaced. Upon completion, the product is reassembled and restored to performance standards defined by the refurbishment process. Engines, gearboxes, alternators, starter motors, pumps and numerous electronic components can benefit from this approach. The principle is simple: to recover value before creating new value.

In environmental terms, this can mean reducing the consumption of raw materials and energy associated with producing a component from scratch, as well as extending the life of materials already present in the supply chain. In this scenario, the workshop’s role also changes. It is no longer merely a place where a vehicle is repaired, but becomes one of the key nodes in the circular supply chain: from accurate diagnosis to preventive maintenance, from the selection of spare parts to the collection and proper management of oils, batteries, tyres and replaced components. The real challenge, therefore, is to move beyond the ‘use and replace’ model and build a supply chain capable of keeping products and materials in circulation for as long as possible.