What if the cars of yesterday could power the cars of tomorrow? As the global race for raw materials accelerates and sustainability becomes the defining measure of progress, the automotive industry is rethinking how cars are built and unbuilt. Leading this reinvention, Mercedes-Benz and TSR Group are turning end-of-life vehicles into a treasure chest of resources, where aluminium, steel, copper, plastics, and glass will be recovered, refined, and used into the vehicles of the future.
At the heart of this effort lies an ambitious urban mining pilot project of Mercedes-Benz and TSR Group GmbH & Co. KG, a partnership that was announced in 2024 with a strong focus on building a sustainable circular economy for end-of-life vehicles.
“Our vision of sustainable mobility requires us to significantly reduce the use of primary raw materials in our vehicles. Urban mining allows us to keep valuable materials in the cycle in a resource-efficient manner. Together with our partners, we will continuously increase the proportion of secondary raw materials used in the coming years, thereby contributing our know-how in resource conservation and CO₂ reduction,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement.
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As part of an “urban mining” pilot initiative, the two companies are establishing their first innovative collection site for such vehicles. Set to launch in northwest Germany in the summer of 2025, the initiative will establish the first dedicated collection site for dismantling vehicles at the end of their lifecycle. The project aims to harness urban sources of raw materials, close value chains, and recover high-quality secondary raw materials like aluminium, steel, plastic, copper, and glass, for use in the production of new Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
For Mercedes-Benz, this initiative directly contributes to Ambition 2039, the company’s goal of achieving a net carbon-neutral vehicle fleet across the entire value chain. Increasing the use of secondary raw materials to 40 per cent within the next decade is a cornerstone of this strategy, and avoiding downcycling ensures that recycled aluminium maintains the quality required for use in new vehicles.
In partnership with TSR, end-of-life vehicles purchased across northwest Germany will be dismantled, irrespective of their brand. Legally regulated pollutants and easily removable valuable components will be extracted first. The remaining materials will then be processed using TSR Group’s innovative recycling technology. TSR specialises in recycling ferrous metals such as iron and steel, as well as non-ferrous metals including aluminium, copper, and zinc.
The project aims to establish a resilient and sustainable raw material supply chain for the automotive industry. It demonstrates how strategic partnerships can close industrial loops and enable efficient reuse of valuable materials. The pilot project also provides valuable insights for scaling up the use of post-consumer materials in future vehicle series, strengthening the foundation for a more sustainable industry.
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