Hydro and General Motors give old aluminium a new life in the new Cadillac EV safety system

Aluminium recovered from old vehicles, windows, doors and electrical cables is being given a new life inside General Motors' latest electric vehicle, as Hydro's high-recycled Hydro CIRCAL alloy becomes part of the structural front bumper system of the Cadillac OPTIQ. The collaboration marks one of the first uses of high-recycled aluminium in a safety-critical automotive application in the United States.

Hydro will supply Hydro CIRCAL, an advanced aluminium alloy containing at least 75 per cent post-consumer scrap, from its recycling facility in Cassopolis, Michigan. Automotive supplier Shape Corp. will manufacture and assemble the front bumper system to General Motors' specifications before it is integrated into the Cadillac OPTIQ electric vehicle.

"By bringing recycled aluminium back into demanding vehicle applications, we can reduce embedded emissions, strengthen material circularity and make better use of the resources already in circulation," said Duncan Pitchford, Vice President Recycling at Hydro Aluminum Metal.

From scrap to crash protection

The front bumper beam sits behind the vehicle's exterior bumper and plays a critical role in absorbing and distributing impact energy during collisions, helping protect passengers, pedestrians and key electric vehicle systems.

Hydro said using Hydro CIRCAL in this structural component demonstrates that aluminium with high post-consumer recycled content can meet the demanding strength, energy absorption, corrosion resistance and formability requirements expected in modern automotive safety applications.

By sourcing recycled aluminium locally and producing it in Michigan, the collaboration also strengthens regional manufacturing while creating a more circular supply chain that returns end-of-life aluminium to new vehicle production.

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Recycled aluminium cuts emissions while supporting EV manufacturing

Hydro CIRCAL is produced using aluminium recovered from end-of-life products including vehicles, windows, doors and electrical cables before being remelted into new aluminium products.

According to the company, the alloy delivers a carbon footprint of 1.5 kg CO₂e per kilogram of aluminium or lower, representing an estimated 70 per cent reduction in emissions compared with the North American average for primary aluminium production.

The company said combining high recycled content with automotive-grade performance demonstrates how aluminium can support both lower-carbon manufacturing and demanding vehicle applications.

Hydro expands commercial roadmap for recycled aluminium

Alongside the automotive collaboration, Hydro continues expanding the use of recycled aluminium across North America through investments in domestic recycling capacity. The Cassopolis recycling facility supports the company's strategy of supplying low-carbon, high-recycled aluminium to manufacturers seeking to reduce embedded emissions while strengthening local supply chains.

The collaboration with General Motors and Shape Corp. demonstrates how aluminium recovered from products that have reached the end of their life can be returned to new electric vehicles, reinforcing circular manufacturing within the automotive industry. 

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