Circular economy: Renault Trucks faces up to the environmental challenge

At Renault Trucks, we are in line with the definition and principles of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation:

“In our current economy, we take materials from the Earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, we stop waste being produced in the first place. The circular economy is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), regenerate nature. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy and materials, the circular economy is a resilient system that is good for business, people, and the environment”. 

Rather than producing new trucks and parts using the planet’s resources, we adopted a circular approach in 2019 in which we are continually making progress. We have introduced solutions to extend the useful life of our own trucks so that our customers can keep them longer. 

Our first move was to revamp used trucks to give them a second life. This led to the creation of the Used Trucks Factory, which enables us to transform trucks and change their purpose so that they are more suited to market requirements. Since 2019, we offer a range of reconditioned trucks under our own brand name.

We then set out to tackle obsolescence to extend the first life of our trucks, so that they can be used intensively for longer periods by their first owners. The offer of regenerated trucks is aimed at customers with large fleets who, instead of renewing their vehicles, opt for reconditioning.

Their trucks are appraised, the comfort of the cab is redesigned, and we work on the powertrain, bringing the vehicle up to date with the latest software (particularly for consumption and CO₂ emission performance). It enables us to provide our customers with their own refurbished trucks rather than selling them new vehicles, in line with our “strictly necessary” approach.

This circular approach also applies to our spare parts. We have decided to expand our remanufacturing and reusing of spare parts and components. Until now, our Limoges plants was the only site specialized in the re-manufacturing of major truck parts (gearboxes, engines, etc.). We are in the process of building a plant for dismantling our trucks in order to recover and return to the circuit, after cleaning and refurbishing, all the parts that have a high reuse potential.

By perpetually repairing, regenerating, repurposing our trucks and returning our parts, we add new value, extend their life and keep them always in motion. Because trucks are forever!

Innovation is not a race for novelty. For Renault Trucks, it is above all a question of designing ingenious, high-performance and sustainable solutions that preserve natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By challenging our production models and our offers, innovation aims to encourage the emergence of concrete ideas to continue to meet the needs of our customers while reducing our impact.

When we extend the life of the trucks, we save 7,7 (?) tons of CO₂ per regenerated truck. This saving is calculated in relation to the minerals that would have had to be extracted, the parts that would have had to be produced and the manufacturing operations that would have had to be done to produce a new vehicle.

Products and materials must be kept in use for as long as possible. We name Regenerate the solutions we have introduced to extend the useful life of our own trucks so that our customers can keep them longer. Prolonged life cycles contribute to reduced resources, help reduce the carbon footprint and minimize the impact on the environment. By choosing to regenerate our trucks in the fleet of our customers and to use them thus for longer periods, we avoid the production of new vehicles, which reduces the demand for natural resources and energy needed to manufacture them.

Vehicle regeneration promotes the circular economy approach in several ways:

Reuse of resources: regenerating a used vehicle usually involves repairing or replacing faulty or worn parts, rather than throwing them away and replacing them with new ones. This extends the useful life of the vehicle and avoids the consumption of new resources to manufacture new parts, thereby reducing the demand for raw materials and energy needed to produce new parts.

Waste Reduction: Regenerating a used vehicle minimizes the waste associated with the automotive industry by preventing the vehicle from being scrapped or destroyed. Reclaimed used vehicles are reconditioned and put back on the market, preventing them from becoming waste and helping to reduce the amount of waste generated by the automotive industry.

Reduced carbon footprint: The production of new vehicles has a significant environmental impact due to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation and processing of materials. By remanufacturing used vehicles, we avoid the production of new vehicles and reduce their impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Cost savings: conversion can be less expensive than buying a new vehicle, although this depends on the type of vehicle and the complexity of the conversion.

Reduced carbon footprint: by converting an existing vehicle, you avoid the production of a new vehicle and reduce its impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Customization: vehicle conversions also provide the opportunity to customize the vehicle to the owner's tastes and needs. Customization options can include choice of battery power, vehicle range and engine configuration.

Potential to create jobs: Vehicle conversions can also create employment opportunities for people with mechanical and manufacturing skills. This can stimulate the local economy and provide well-paying jobs in the industry.

Broken parts are often seen as waste, but at Renault Trucks we see them as an opportunity. Thanks to our Remanufacturing program, damaged parts collected in our repair network are given a second life through a strict industrial process.

Dismantled, cleaned, inspected, reconditioned, reassembled and fully tested, our parts regain their original characteristics and performance. They are then reinjected into the aftermarket, ready to cover hundreds of thousands of extra kilometers.

Giving our parts a second life has a significant impact on the environment, compared with buying a new part. Producing remanufactured parts requires up to 85% less raw materials and 80% less energy. In 2022, more than 1,900 tons of CO₂ (equivalent to the CO₂ emissions of 805 085

km with a high speed train) were saved thanks to all the Reman parts replaced in our repair network. 

Our trucks are 95% recyclable and 98% recoverable in accordance with the ISO 22628 standard. Each part is marked to make it simpler to direct it to the relevant recycling facility. Parts covered by the European REACH legislation pertaining to the manufacturing and use of chemical substances are systematically logged and flagged to the appropriate bodies.  

It is through this global process and the numerous practical measures taken to put plans into action, that we have emerged as pioneers in our circular approach to offering commercial vehicles and secured our position as leader in the transition to a sustainable transport