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Collaboration aims to advance industrial production of automotive skin aluminium alloy with recycled content over 95%.
  • Novelis and The Future is NEUTRAL have joined forces to scale up the industrial production of a circular aluminium alloy containing over 95% recycled content – including more than 50% post-consumer scrap from end-of-life vehicles.

  • By integrating greater volumes of post-consumer scrap into the automotive value chain, the collaboration between Novelis and The Future is NEUTRAL aims to pioneer a new era of circularity in the automotive industry.

Novelis Inc., a leading sustainable aluminium solutions provider and world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, and The Future is NEUTRAL, the first 360° circular economy enterprise in the automotive world, announced their collaboration on a circular end-of-life recycling solution. This partnership aims to push the boundaries of recycled content in automotive aluminium sheet to at least 95%, including a minimum of 50% scrap from end-of-life vehicles.

Novelis already supplies carmakers with products made from up to 85% recycled aluminium for outer skin panels and forming-critical applications in vehicles. Building on this success, the partnership between Novelis and The Future is NEUTRAL seeks to achieve even higher recycled content, leveraging The Future is NEUTRAL’s expertise in sourcing and segregating end-of-life vehicle scrap.

The Future Is Neutral automotive scrap dismantling

At Novelis, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of high recycled content aluminium and reducing the carbon footprint of our solutions. By 2030, we aim for 75% average recycled content in our products and to be the lowest emissions flat rolled products (FRP) aluminium provider with less than 3 tonnes CO2 emissions per tonne of FRP. Collaborations with strong partners like The Future is NEUTRAL are crucial to achieving these goals by retrieving greater volumes and high-quality aluminium scrap from end-of-life vehicles.

Michael Hahne, Vice President, Commercial, Novelis Europe

Aluminium is an excellent material for reducing the weight of vehicles and batteries. Recycling aluminium uses only 5% of the energy required for primary aluminium production and reduces CO2 emissions by more than 90%. The automotive industry is increasingly seeking competitive solutions to source low-carbon aluminium. Our goal is to provide them with circular recycled materials sourced from end-of-life vehicles. Our partnership with Novelis enables us to combine our expertise in automotive circularity to serve this purpose and position both companies at the forefront of this initiative.

Xavier Kaufman, Chief Business Officer, The Future is NEUTRAL

Closing The Loop Together

Novelis and The Future is NEUTRAL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance the industrialization of their recycling solution. The partners aim to integrate sufficient volumes of valuable automotive aluminium feedstock from end-of-life vehicles into the value chain to meet the needs of the automotive industry and prevent downcycling.

The companies are jointly seeking to further optimize the quantity and quality of post-consumer automotive aluminium scrap, as well as its transformation processes. The Future is NEUTRAL has expertise in the collection, dismantling and sorting of end-of-life materials, including aluminium, whilst Novelis is a world leader in aluminium recycling and supplier of innovative, low-carbon aluminium products with high recycled content.

The shared objective is to build a competitive industrial offering of high-recycled-content aluminium automotive sheet made with a maximum of post-consumer scrap from end-of-life vehicles, able to supply the European automotive industry for mass production.

Closed Loop Automotive End-of-Life Recycling


Check out this brief video update on our Bay Minette project, which continues to progress on schedule and remains on track to become operational in the second half of 2026. 

Key updates featured in this video include:

In parallel with construction, our teams are actively engaging in operational readiness activities – hiring key talent, developing training programs, and putting systems and processes in place to ensure a smooth start-up. We’ve begun detailed planning and early preparations to support equipment commissioning, product qualifications, and eventual ramp-up of operations. 

Novelis, in collaboration with Sourced Economics, published a working paper via the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) on lightweighting vehicles with aluminum. Novelis’ Mario Greco, Global Technology Director, Automotive, and Kashif Solaija, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Commercial Excellence, Global Automotive, teamed up with Sourced Economics CEO John Frechette, and Head of Research Yifei Xu, to rigorously investigate and ultimately contribute to key academic and scientific literature on the economics of vehicle lightweighting. 

The working paper describes the characteristics of prevailing life cycle assessments (LCAs), which mainly forecast select life cycle costs associated with a change in a vehicle’s materials or design, and reviews notable examples. The goal of the paper is to introduce a richer framework for analyzing these decisions that emphasizes quantifying not only cost-based but also value-based considerations, such as improvements in vehicle performance. 

In its conclusion, the paper calls for a paradigm shift in automotive product planning focused on better analyzing and improving customer experiences – enabled by new and rapidly emerging data on customer preferences and demand. 

Read the full paper here: Link 

Please reach out to Kashif Solaija with any questions. 

 

A thought leadership piece by Daniel Kern, Vice President, Global Automotive Development, Novelis  

Traditionally, aluminum was reserved for luxury and high-performance vehicles. However, advancements in material science, recycling capabilities, and design innovation have transformed aluminum into a cost-effective and sustainable choice for all vehicle categories—from compact cars to SUVs and trucks. 

Electric vehicles (EVs) are transforming the automotive industry, but their significantly heavier weight—up to 500kg more than comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) models—poses unique challenges. Reducing weight is critical for improving performance, safety, and sustainability while meeting the evolving demands of consumers and regulators. 

Novelis recently participated in an insightful panel discussion hosted by Automotive World, alongside industry experts from Ricardo and Cranfield University, on ways to address these challenges. Moderated by Megan Lampinen, Editor-at-Large for Automotive World, the webinar explored: 

Dr. Daniel Kern, Vice President of Global Automotive Development at Novelis, shared Novelis’ lightweighting strategies for EVs and insights into the future of sustainable mobility. 

The recording of this engaging webinar is now available! Watch it here. 

Join the conversation and discover how Novelis is driving the future of sustainable automotive solutions here: Automotive – Novelis. 

16th January 2025 | 4 PM CET | 7 AM PDT | 10 AM EDT

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the future of mobility, but their weight—up to 500kg more than comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) models—presents significant challenges for manufacturers, like the need for larger batteries, to achieve acceptable driving ranges, which further increases vehicle weight and cost.  

How can automakers address the critical weight issue while balancing cost, safety, and environmental impact? 

Join us for an engaging 60-minute webinar featuring leading experts in EV lightweighting as they explore innovative strategies to reduce vehicle weight and drive the development of more efficient and sustainable EVs. 

What You’ll Learn: 

Meet the Panelists: 

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain critical insights into the future of EV lightweighting! 

Register Now Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams 

As the automotive industry navigates the crossroads of electrification, sustainability, and consumer preferences for vehicles that are more efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly, one thing is clear: the future of mobility requires a new approach to vehicle design. At Novelis, we believe that aluminum is the key to unlocking a lighter, greener, simpler, and safer future for automakers and their customers.

Novelis, in collaboration with Sourced Economics, is advancing the conversation on sustainability in the automotive industry. In a recent article published in Inbound Logistics, Novelis experts Mario Greco, Global Technology Director of Automotive, and Kashif Solaija, Senior Manager Sustainability and Commercial Excellence, Global Automotive, joined Sourced Economics CEO John Frechette to explore how businesses can pinpoint and quantify the commercial value of green initiatives. 

The article outlines innovative modeling techniques to integrate environmental performance into product design and business strategy. It highlights research on consumer willingness to pay for sustainable features and provides actionable insights into prioritizing sustainability investments for maximum impact. 

This collaboration underscores Novelis’ commitment to driving data-driven sustainability solutions and fulfilling our purpose of Shaping a Sustainable World Together. 

Read the full article in Inbound Logistics

When Li Auto set out to design its first fully electric, multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), the Li MEGA, the Beijing-based automotive start-up aimed to push the boundaries of technology to increase battery range and enhance the driver experience. To achieve this ambitious goal, Li Auto needed a partner with expertise in lightweight materials and advanced engineering solutions. Enter Novelis.

The Partnership Begins

Li Auto partnered with Novelis’ Customer Solution Center in Shanghai, marking the start of a dynamic collaboration. Together, the two teams set out to incorporate Novelis’ lightweight aluminum solutions into nine critical parts of Li Auto’s premium model.

Innovative Solutions

One of the standout features of the Li MEGA is its use of Novelis Advanz™ 6HS-s650, a custom-made alloy designed for structural applications that demand high in-service strength and superior crash performance. This innovative material contributed to an 11% weight reduction compared to the original aluminum design.

Technical Excellence in Production

Novelis’ involvement didn’t stop at the design phase. We provided extensive technical support during the production phase of the Li MEGA. Our expertise in mixed-material construction and joining technologies was invaluable in bringing the vehicle to life. Members of Novelis’ Customer Solution Center worked closely with the equipment supplier to determine the optimal process parameters for stud-welding s650 crash parts on the vehicle’s underbody.

Through numerous welding tests conducted both in the lab and on the production line, the teams from Li Auto and Novelis achieved high-quality stud welding, a crucial factor in the successful mass production of the Li MEGA.

A New Benchmark in Electric Vehicles

The collaboration between Novelis and Li Auto on the Li MEGA has set a new benchmark in the electric vehicle industry. By leveraging Novelis’ advanced aluminum solutions and technical expertise, Li Auto was able to develop a vehicle that not only delivers exceptional performance and safety but also enhances the overall driving experience through innovative design and lightweight construction.

This partnership showcases the power of collaboration and innovation in driving the future of sustainable mobility. The success of the Li MEGA is a testament to what can be achieved when industry leaders join forces to push the boundaries of what is possible in automotive design and engineering.

Learn more about how Novelis is shaping the future of sustainable transportation through groundbreaking partnerships and innovative solutions.

As the automotive industry increasingly shifts toward electric vehicles (EVs), the challenge of recapturing aluminum from end-of-life vehicles has become more critical. With aluminum’s lightweight, sustainable properties, the industry is searching for ways to efficiently recycle high-value alloys without downgrading their quality. Traditional methods often lead to downcycling, mixing various alloys together, and reducing their overall value.

In a new blog, Daniel Kern discusses industry-wide solutions, including innovative scrap sortation and segregation technologies that enable the recovery of specific alloys. These advancements, combined with new uni-alloy designs and collaboration across the supply chain, offer promising pathways to improve recycling processes and create a more sustainable future for automotive aluminum.

Read the full blog for insights on the industry’s path forward.