The transition to zero-emission freight transport requires more than electrification alone. It demands powertrain systems that are not only efficient and reliable, but also resource-conscious, repairable and aligned with Europe’s long-term sustainability objectives.
Within this context, the RHODaS project has undertaken a comprehensive environmental, criticality and circularity assessment of its next-generation Integrated Motor Drive (IMD), developed for heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The IMD integrates four key components — inverter, electric motor, gearbox and heatsink — into a compact, high-performance architecture. While much of the project focused on advancing power electronics and system integration, sustainability considerations were embedded from the outset. The result is a detailed life cycle evaluation that examines how design choices influence environmental impacts, material demand and supply risks across the entire product lifecycle.
A Life Cycle Perspective on Sustainability
The assessment applied a full life cycle approach, considering raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport, operational use and end-of-life treatment. This holistic methodology ensured that improvements in efficiency were not assessed in isolation, but in relation to total environmental performance over the long service life of heavy-duty trucks.
Operational efficiency remains critical. The RHODaS IMD demonstrated a 0.4% improvement in energy efficiency compared to the baseline configuration. Although numerically modest, this gain translates into meaningful reductions in electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions when scaled across fleets and long-distance operation. In heavy-duty applications, even marginal efficiency improvements accumulate into substantial environmental benefits.
However, the most significant sustainability gains emerged not only from efficiency, but from durability and design for repair. The modular architecture of the inverter and improved accessibility of key components enable easier maintenance and repair, extending the expected lifetime of the IMD by approximately 50%. Extended service life reduces the need for replacement units, lowering cumulative material extraction, manufacturing impacts and overall resource demand.
Circularity by Design
Beyond environmental impact reduction, RHODaS explored how circular economy principles could be integrated into high-power electric drivetrains. The project evaluated different end-of-life scenarios, ranging from conventional recycling to advanced remanufacturing and leasing-based models.
The inverter represents a clear example of circularity gains through design innovation.
By shifting to a modular structure and improving internal connections, the system becomes significantly easier to disassemble and refurbish. Under advanced circular scenarios, the inverter’s circularity potential increases dramatically, demonstrating how early-stage design decisions shape long-term resource recovery.
The electric motor, particularly its permanent magnets, was analysed with close attention to critical raw materials such as neodymium. Rather than relying solely on recycling, the assessment showed that reuse and remanufacturing of magnet assemblies are far more effective in reducing demand for virgin material. In optimised circular scenarios, the need for newly extracted neodymium can be reduced by up to 90%, highlighting the strategic importance of retaining high-value components within controlled loops.
The gearbox, already designed with maintenance and remanufacturing in mind, demonstrated that mature mechanical systems can achieve strong circular performance when supported by appropriate recovery and business models. Meanwhile, the heatsink — designed as a mono-material aluminium component — benefits from high inherent recyclability, illustrating how material simplicity supports end-of-life efficiency.
Addressing Critical Raw Material Risks
The criticality assessment identified several materials with elevated supply risks, including neodymium, palladium, platinum, boron and manganese. These materials are essential for advanced electric powertrains but are subject to geopolitical concentration and market volatility.
A central finding of the RHODaS study is that recycling alone cannot fully mitigate future supply pressures, particularly in a rapidly electrifying transport sector. While improved recycling contributes to resource efficiency, strategies centred on reuse and remanufacturing deliver substantially greater reductions in virgin material demand. This reinforces the importance of designing products not only for recyclability, but for multiple life cycles.
The Role of Circular Business Models
Technical solutions alone are insufficient without systemic change. For this reason, RHODaS also evaluated alternative business models, including leasing and “product as new” concepts. When manufacturers retain ownership of high-value powertrain systems, return rates increase and component recovery becomes economically viable. This facilitates structured remanufacturing processes, improved traceability and tighter material control.
Under advanced leasing scenarios, environmental performance and criticality indicators improved significantly compared to conventional ownership models. These findings demonstrate that circularity is as much an organisational and economic challenge as it is a technical one.
Preparing for Europe’s Regulatory Future
The RHODaS assessment aligns closely with emerging European regulatory developments, including requirements for Digital Product Passports and strengthened circularity obligations for vehicles. Anticipating these trends, the project developed a draft Digital Vehicle Passport framework to enhance lifecycle transparency and traceability of materials and components.
By integrating environmental assessment, critical material management and circular design principles into a high-performance electric powertrain, RHODaS establishes a replicable methodology for future heavy-duty applications. The project demonstrates that combining engineering excellence with systemic circular strategies can significantly improve both environmental outcomes and resource security.
In doing so, RHODaS sets a benchmark for sustainable innovation in heavy-duty electric transport — proving that the path to zero-emission mobility must also be a path toward responsible material use and long-term circularity.
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