This is an innovative technological program developed with the aim of promoting the decarbonisation of all components and materials used in vehicles: to this end, research and developments are underway which could offer great opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicles and significantly increase the use of recycled materials
Mercedes-Benz presented the technological program Tomorrow XXwhich extends for the first time to the entire product portfolio. With the aim of achieving company sustainability, Tomorrow XX focuses on decarbonisation, resource use and circularity from the beginning of the design phase to the end of a vehicle’s life: when it comes to circularity, Mercedes-Benz achieves a recycling rate of almost 100% in production. Having already closed the loop for steel scrap, the company is doing the same for aluminum scrap. Completely rethinking components and materials can help reduce the consumption of raw materials in the company’s production facilities and, similarly, can improve the efficiency of processes, thus reducing energy consumption and contributing to decarbonization. These advances come in addition to major strides already made in manufacturing, including the continued increase in the use of renewable energy at the company’s facilities. An exhibition inaugurated last November exhibits further 40 components and materials which constitute concrete examples of solutions already developed or which highlight considerable potential for future application. “There is no doubt that the main goal of all our products is to excite our customers while decarbonising the automobile, reducing the use of resources and growing the circular economy,” he said Olaf Schickmember of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Integrity, Governance and Sustainability, who continues: “Innovation is a key path to achieving this goal and Tomorrow XX makes clear the great progress we are making. Together with our suppliers and partners, we are driving and integrating sustainability deep into our operational business and throughout the supply chain.” These words echo those spoken by Jorg BurzerTechnical Director, Development and Procurement of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, who said: “Mercedes-Benz stands out for its constant drive for innovation. Through the principles of Design for Environment And Design for Circularitythe company is redesigning every component starting from the ground up. The Tomorrow XX technology program applies these concepts in an integrated way across the entire product portfolio and along the entire value chain, exploring new technological frontiers. In just two years, over 40 new components and more sustainable materials have been developed, demonstrating the exceptional potential that Mercedes-Benz is continuing to reveal.”
circularity of materials
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The Tomorrow XX technology program stands out for its collaborative and interdisciplinary approach. The development specialists at Mercedes-Benz work in close synergy with partners along the entire value chain, also involving companies specializing in recycling and innovative start-ups. The objective is to put all components and materials, even the most hidden ones, under the magnifying glass, carefully analyzing and evaluating every kilogram of CO2 produced. TO Kuppenheimin southern Germany, Mercedes‑Benz is speeding up the construction of an internal pilot plant dedicated to battery recycling, with the aim of completely closing the material loop. With Tomorrow XX, the company has identified over 40 sustainable components and materials in just two years: these solutions have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of future vehicles compared to current models and significantly increase the use of recycled materials. Already in the early stages of product development, the technical team analyzes and reviews the selection and composition of the materials used, with the aim of integrating the requirements relating to environmental and climate protection into the vehicle design from the outset. Mercedes‑Benz adopts the principles of the circular economy (Design for Circularity), developing vehicles with the aim of minimizing the use of non-renewable resources, increasing the percentage of recycled materials and reducing waste. When a vehicle reaches the end of its life, the company aims to recover and reintegrate as many reusable materials as possible into the system. For recycling to be effective, it is essential that the components can be easily dismantled and the different materials separated according to their type. So-called monomaterials facilitate this process, since they do not require separation before recycling and can be used directly in new products. In contrast, mixtures of materials are more complex to recycle and are often only recovered through thermal processes. A promising research project for Tomorrow XX is a recyclable lighthouse. Unlike current practice, the various elements such as lens, frame, case and electronics are fixed with screws rather than glued. This system allows each component to be dismantled quickly and without risk of damage, facilitating the replacement of individual parts and making a modern headlight easily repairable for the first time. An equally complex component is the inner door panel, as it consists of several parts joined by ultrasonic welding: Mercedes Benz has developed a new joining technology that makes it better and easier to separate the individual materials
plastic: use and recycling
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On average, a modern Mercedes-Benz contains around 250 kg of plastic: many of these components consist of mixed plastics, which can only be mechanically recycled to a limited extent and therefore often thermally recycled. Recovering them for use in high-quality products is usually not possible. The Tomorrow XX technology program focuses on accelerating the use of monomaterials, while replacing primary resources with secondary materials, such as the innovative PET mono-sandwich, which stands out for its lightweight design, use of recycled materials, circularity and economic efficiency of the production process. In 2024 the project won the prestigious Award Materialica Award in the category “CO2 Efficiency” and will soon be launched into large-scale production. Since PET is highly suitable for recycling, it offers great potential to replace primary materials in vehicles. For many years, Mercedes-Benz has been using seat covers and wheel arches made from 100% recycled PET bottles, which the company is currently also using to make carpets and rugs, reducing the carbon footprint in these materials by up to 75%. Aluminum plays a central role in vehicle architecture: however, the production of this material is one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world. The company already uses low-carbon aluminum in series production: supplied by its strategic partner Hydro, this material guarantees emissions that are 70% lower than the European average. The objectives set by the partners aim to further reduce the carbon footprint by around 90%. Like aluminium, steel production is also highly carbon-intensive: for this reason Mercedes‑Benz invests in cutting-edge technologies and collaborates with major producers in the steel sector with the aim of developing processes capable of almost completely eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on replacing the traditional blast furnace process. The alternative is based on direct reduction with hydrogen, together with the use of electric arc furnaces and a greater percentage of recycled materials. By fueling these processes entirely with renewable sources, it is possible to minimize CO₂ emissions and obtain steel with practically zero emissions resource, and Mercedes-Benz intends to strategically use end-of-life vehicles as a source for raw materials for new vehicles: As part of the Tomorrow XX technology program, Mercedes-Benz and its partner companies seek to replace existing materials with post-consumer materials from end-of-life vehicles, thus closing the company’s material loops. The discarded tires themselves offer great potential: First, a chemical recycling process converts them into pyrolysis oil, which can be combined with certified biomethane from agricultural waste, and both raw materials are then processed. transformed into plastic according to the method of mass balance. This innovative recycled plastic has the same properties as virgin plastic obtained from fossil raw materials. Thanks to biotechnology, recycled plastic material derived from old tires can also be used to produce a high-quality leather alternative. Its combination with proteins of biological origin gives life to an innovative material which, in terms of composition and structure, resembles real leather. Compared to natural leather, the carbon footprint is approximately 40% lower. Additionally, content derived from recycled plastic material can be recycled again. In addition to chemical recycling, used tires can also be recycled mechanically: Mercedes-Benz is working on the production of sound-absorbing materials from shredded tires, using their fibers for sound insulation. These absorbers are welded directly to the underbody paneling as vibration dampers.
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The other components covered by the program
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The Tomorrow XX technology program has already identified and tested two components that could be made from recycled airbags. Another innovative solution is underbody cladding made from fully recycled end-of-life vehicle plastics: this could reduce the carbon footprint of the underbody cladding by up to 40%. The use of recycled glass fibers is also being evaluated. With a content of 100% post-consumer plastics from end-of-life vehicles, the innovative underbody coating perfectly embodies the concept of closed material cycle: in 2025 it received the prestigious Materialica Award in the category “Process” and is close to the start of series production. As part of Tomorrow XX, Mercedes-Benz Research & Development has developed a new brake pad concept in collaboration with various suppliers: The new brake pads contain around 40 percent material derived from used brake pads. With a reduction of up to 85 percent, the CO₂ savings for this highly complex material mixture is particularly significant. The battery is the central component of an electric vehicle, and is also the one with the largest carbon footprint. Mercedes-Benz is therefore pursuing a holistic, multi-stage transformation approach to the decarbonisation of the battery cell supply chain. The first lever involves the increased use of secondary (recycled) materials for cathodes and anodes in the cells materials, thus making the future of electric mobility even more sustainable.
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