In a bid to reduce natural resource usage and its trucks’ environmental impact, Renault Trucks has planned to take steps towards transitioning its industrial operations to a circular-economy approach.
It has announced the creation of its Used Parts Factory, an industrial site devoted entirely to recycling trucks and reusing the parts and raw materials recovered from them. Under this, the CV maker plans to recycle end-of-life trucks and reuse their spare parts and is opening a dedicated plant in the heart of its manufacturing facility in Lyon–Vénissieux.
A press release from Renault Trucks stated that the 3,000m2 plant, built close to the logistics centre, will handle used vehicles with high mileage, along with some parts that still have substantial potential for reuse.
The Process
The release said that the process begins by dismantling the trucks. Operators will remove the components previously identified as suitable for reuse which will include the engine, gearbox, cabin, fuel tank, bumpers and deflectors, among others.
Once the parts intended for reuse have been removed, the other components will be recycled. The rails, for example, will be cut up and then sent to the nearby foundry. The metal extracted from the parts will be used to manufacture a new vehicle.
The components intended for re-use will then be checked, cleaned and labelled for listing and traceability purposes. These used spare parts will then be sent to the nearby Renault Trucks spare parts store, just like new spare parts.
Furthermore, like new spare parts, the used spare parts marketed under the label “Used Parts by Renault Trucks” will also be made available to dealers on the manufacturer’s online spare parts marketplace.
These used spare parts will be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, and their cost will be significantly lower than new spare parts.
Regarding used parts for its old vehicle ranges, Renault Trucks is continuing to work with Indra Automobile Recycling and will offer its dealership network a range of parts obtained through dismantling operations carried out by the recycling specialist.
Other Initiatives
Renault Trucks noted that over the past five years, it has invested in the circular economy, applying a three-pronged approach that consists in regenerating, repurposing and recycling used trucks.
The CV maker added that it is conducting numerous initiatives to extend the lifetime of the vehicles it sells, which includes used trucks being remanufactured according to strict industrial processes at the Used Trucks Factory, vehicles are updated with the latest technologies in the reconditioning centre in Lyon, and there are also used special-series models for sale.
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