Production cost savings of 18.6 percent and overall carbon footprint reduction of 38.7 percent were estimated in a test case, while material demand was reduced by 14.7 percent.

Based on simulations, the savings can be realized through adoption of a circular manufacturing system model. It enabled the engineers to produce detailed and accurate representations of complex production systems, from the smallest actions to macro-level events.

“Avoiding virgin material extraction is an important environmental factor,” says Farazee Asif, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at KTH who specializes in circular manufacturing systems. “Simulations showed that 80 of the electrical steel mass for motors could be channeled toward remanufacturing or reuse, while the remaining 20 percent could be channeled toward recycling. Similarly, 60 percent of magnets and 56 percent of regular steel could be directed toward remanufacturing and reuse, with the remainder going to recycling.

“Circular economy practices are critical for securing future resources in EV manufacturing, especially for rare-earth-heavy parts like electric motors,” claims Asif. “However, significant design innovations and modeling the economic and environmental impacts of these innovations are still needed.”