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What actually happens to old prototypes? BMW shows us

The BMW Group's Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDZ) has been in existence for 30 years

30 years of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Centre

Photo by: BMW

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Published by: Brian Potter

Sep 14, 2024 at 3:53am ET

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Have you ever wondered what happens to all those prototypes and spy test cars once the production vehicle has been unveiled? Well, they often drive around for a while because removing the camouflage film would be too time-consuming. At the end of the day, however, they have to be dismantled or scrapped.

After all, these are vehicles for pre-series testing, which usually do not yet have the final state of series technology on board. It is far too risky to resell such vehicles as used cars, and also highly questionable from a legal point of view. So "it's the end of the line" for the prototypes. At BMW, decommissioning has been taking place for 30 years in the BMW Group's (somewhat clumsily named) Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDZ).

Gallery: 30 years of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Centre

30 years of the BMW Group recycling and dismantling center

Source: BMW

What happens there is incorporated into the Group's product design so that the recyclability of new models is considered right from the start. Every year, several thousand vehicles are recycled at the RDZ. Most of these are pre-series vehicles that have fulfilled their test purposes and are therefore not suitable for sale to customers.

These are dismantled in a standardised process, whereby the focus is on identifying reusable series components and materials that are suitable for recycling.

What began in 1994 with the establishment of the company's own recycling site in Lohhof, north of Munich, has developed over the course of three decades into a true centre of excellence for vehicle recycling. In view of new regulations and the BMW Group's ambitious targets, the RDZ will become even more important in the future. The expertise built up there is key when it comes to further improving the recyclability of vehicles.

30 years of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Centre

BMW

The BMW Group played a key role in setting up the IDIS (International Dismantling Information System) platform. The RDZ publishes data and findings there, which are available to recyclers around the world free of charge. Around 3,000 companies in 32 countries now use the joint recycling database to find out how recyclable components can be dismantled cost-effectively and how valuable materials can be recovered efficiently.

Vehicle recycling at the RDZ begins with the controlled release of the restraint systems, in particular the airbags, and the pumping out of all fluids. A process developed by the BMW Group is used to neutralise the pyrotechnics used in airbags, among other things. Oil is also removed from the shock absorbers using a device that was specially developed for this purpose at the RDZ.

30 years of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Centre

The subsequent disassembly is initially focussed on the recycling of individual components. Perfectly preserved and functional components with series status are passed on to registered dealers for resale and are therefore not disposed of.

During the mechanical dismantling of the rest of the vehicle, certain materials such as the copper contained in the wiring harnesses are separated using a specially developed extractor. Only then, after the engine block and gearbox have been removed, are the remains pressed and then shredded in an external recycling plant.

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The targeted dismantling of metals ensures that today's scrap is turned into tomorrow's raw materials to the greatest possible extent and in optimum quality. This is not only important from an ecological point of view, but also from an economic one. Just like copper, the metals used in the drivetrain also generate savings. The separate dismantling of the catalytic converters also increases economic efficiency, as they contain valuable precious metals.

With the ramp-up of electromobility, the recycling of high-voltage batteries is also increasingly coming into focus. Together with partners from industry and science, the RDZ has been developing innovative methods for recycling storage units from vehicles with electrified drive systems for many years.

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