Stellantis wants to extend the life of spare parts, and therefore of vehicles, with a new “cradle to cradle” business model.
Stellantis wants to achieve carbon neutrality in 2038. This is not limited to making electric vehicles. The group born from the merger between PSA and Fiat works on the entire life cycle of the car.
The Citroën Oli concept car has just illustrated the approach, with an ecological reflection that goes from design, with “optimal and limited use of light and recycled materials”, to its durability, with in particular a duration of use lengthened.
For this last aspect, Stellantis has created a “business unit” dedicated to the circular economy. But it’s not only about ecology, there is also a financial aspect, because each activity of the group must be profitable! For the circular economy, Stellantis aims at two billion euros in turnover in 2030. The strategy is summarized in 4Rs, with English: reman, repair, reuse and recycle.
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For “reman”, worn, damaged or defective parts are reconditioned. For “repair”, the parts are repaired, with the objective of being reinstalled in the vehicles of the customers. For “reuse”, parts in good condition are recovered, and this concerns all brands. They are then resold in 155 countries via an e-commerce platform, B-Parts. Finally, with “recycle”, production waste and end-of-life vehicle parts are reintegrated into the manufacturing process.
Stellantis intends to develop these circular economy activities on all the continents where it is present, with “hubs” in each major geographical region. In Europe, it has just opened a large center in Mirafiori (Italy), which accommodates vehicle repair and dismantling activities, as well as the reconditioning of spare parts.
The goal is also to adapt the business to the local level, so as not to have second-hand parts travel around the world! For example, in Brazil, essential parts, such as starters, are reconditioned and distributed locally using local dealerships.
To guide the customer, Stellantis has just unveiled a label dedicated to reused spare parts, “Sustainera”, with the promise “of a reduction of up to 80% in materials and 50% in energy compared to equivalent new parts”.