Mercedes said this approach could extend component life and improve recycling rates, although it hasn’t yet detailed any potential trade-offs, such as sealing durability or manufacturing complexity.

A similar rethink is under way for interior door panels, where engineers have replaced ultrasonic welds with a modified thermoplastic rivet that can be undone cleanly. The change allows pockets, trims and reinforcement plates to be separated for repair or recycling. If validated, the new door panels could replace those used in existing Mercedes models.

Other projects within the Tomorrow XX programme seek to repurpose materials from end-of-life vehicles. Engineers are developing underbody panels made from mixed plastic waste, engine mounts from reclaimed airbag fabric and brake pads incorporating material recovered from worn pads.

Early tests also explore low-temperature moulding for recycled polymers, mineral-based trim coatings intended to avoid petrochemical lacquers and reduced-binder fibres for carpets and insulation to simplify end-of-life separation.

Structural development forms another strand. Mercedes is studying bolt-in modular crash structures that replace multi-layer welded assemblies, as well as net-shape aluminium casting techniques aimed at reducing machining steps and the associated energy waste.

Alongside this, Burzer revealed that it’s developing new dry-coating processes for battery electrodes and electrical components and a material passport system intended to track origin, carbon intensity and recycling routes of individual parts.