ZEvRA is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project (2Zero Partnership) addressing the systemic integration of circularity across the full life cycle of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). The project develops and validates methodologies, engineering approaches and digital tools that operationalise circular economy principles from the design phase through to end-of-life material recovery.
The core technical objective is a harmonised Design for Circularity (DfC) framework for ZEVs, coupling design-stage decision support with life-cycle assessment, digital material passporting and traceability across the value chain. The framework targets improved resource efficiency and material traceability, and underpins optimised strategies for reuse, remanufacturing, recycling and the recovery of critical raw materials (CRMs). Circular vehicle solutions developed within the project are validated through demonstrators, quantifying environmental-footprint reductions and supporting Europe’s climate-neutrality and circular-economy objectives.
The ZEvRA consortium brings together 28 partners from 11 countries, coordinated by Fraunhofer IWU, and includes major automotive manufacturers and industry stakeholders such as Toyota Motor Europe, Škoda Auto, Volkswagen, Stellantis, Faurecia Automotive Composites, Benteler, Continental, EDAG Engineering, Raffmetal and Sisecam, as well as leading research organisations and universities including Eurecat, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, VTT, Politecnico di Milano, University of Bologna, TU Braunschweig and Northumbria University. Together, the partners combine expertise across the automotive value chain to develop scalable solutions for circular mobility.
