The research project ReDriveS (“Automated and digitalised circular economy solutions for electric axle drive systems”) entered the implementation phase.
Consisting of 25 funded partners from industry, SMEs and science – supplemented by associated partners from research and business – ReDriveS is one of the national lighthouse projects in the BMWE specialist programme “DNS of future-proof mobility – digital, sustainable, system-capable”. ReDriveS has a project volume of more than €25 million with total funding of over €16 million.
The project aims to develop economically viable and ecologically beneficial circular economy solutions for electric axle drives. Automated dismantling processes, innovative recycling processes for rare earth magnets and the use of digital twins will create a cross-industry basis for sustainable electromobility.
ReDriveS addresses three central themes of the mobility transition: Digitalisation, sustainability and system capability.
The focus is on:
- – the development of automated, robot-guided disassembly systems for electric axle drives,
- – recycling processes for rare-earth magnets (NdFeB) and other strategic materials, and
- – the development of a digital ecosystem with digital twins for cross-manufacturer data utilisation.
The project contributes significantly to the resilience of the electric mobility value chain and makes an important contribution to meeting future recycling quotas and reducing the carbon footprint of electric vehicles in Germany and Europe.
The project is being coordinated by Schaeffler AG. The project will run for 36 months and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The project sponsor is TÜV Rheinland Forschungs- und Innovationsmanagement GmbH.
At the official launch on 12 and 13 January 2026, over 80 participants from the consortium met at the Schaeffler site in Herzogenaurach to celebrate the start of the research project. The official project kick-off took place on 12 January: In the afternoon and evening, Stefan Heidemann (BMWE) gave welcoming remarks and keynote speeches from business and research, and the consortium leader Schaeffler presented the overall ReDriveS project. Afterwards, a joint networking event provided space for personal dialogue between the project partners. On the morning of 13 January, the current status and objectives of the work packages were presented. The programme was rounded off with a report from the project sponsor and an outlook on the next steps in project implementation.
With its combination of automation, digitalization, and circular economy, ReDriveS serves as an exemplary model for the transformation of the German automotive industry toward sustainable, data-driven, and resource-efficient production systems. The results of the project are intended to be transferred into industrial applications upon completion and made available as an industry solution for OEMs, suppliers, and recyclers.
Among those involved in the ReDriveS project are Schaeffler AG, AVL Software and Functions GmbH, Circu Li-Ion, EKS InTec GmbH, FEV, FFT Produktionssysteme, Fraunhofer IPA, Fraunhofer LBF, Hochschule Pforzheim, LPKF Laser & Electronics SE, Lehrstuhl FAPS der FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, msg for automotive, Öko-Institut, Robert Bosch GmbH, The Battery Lifecycle Company GmbH (BLC), TU Bergakademie Freiberg, TU Clausthal – IEVB, TU Clausthal – IGMR, Volkswagen AG.
