Daimler Truck & FAUN reECONIC concept vehicle with ARBOBLEND® cockpit components
Circular economy and bio-based materials for commercial vehicle manufacturing
Through the reECONIC flagship project, Daimler Truck and FAUN Umwelttechnik are impressively demonstrating how technological innovation, sustainable material concepts and a consistent circular economy can be brought together in modern commercial vehicle manufacturing. Together with numerous partners from industry and the recycling sector, they are developing a forward-looking approach that combines resource conservation, CO₂ reduction and industrial feasibility.
As a specialist in bio-based high-performance materials, TECNARO GmbH is contributing its long-standing expertise in materials to this cross-sector sustainability project. With ARBOBLEND®, TECNARO is supporting the development of resource-efficient and recyclable material solutions for future generations of vehicles and demonstrating how bio-based materials can be used in demanding technical applications.
Current situation
The commercial vehicle industry faces the challenge of reducing emissions across the entire value chain whilst simultaneously developing high-performance, durable and economically viable vehicle concepts. There is enormous potential particularly in the area of Scope 3 emissions, as material selection, recyclability and resource use are becoming increasingly important.
Against this backdrop, Daimler Truck and FAUN Umwelttechnik, together with a total of 32 partners from industry, materials development and the recycling sector, launched the reECONIC concept vehicle. The aim of the project is to design materials, components and production processes in such a way that material cycles are as closed as possible and resources are used efficiently.
The battery-electric refuse collection vehicle symbolises this approach: it collects recyclable materials whilst itself being made from materials that can, in the future, be returned to the cycle.
Material solution
As a specialist in bio-based and recyclable materials, TECNARO brings its nearly three decades of experience to the development of sustainable material solutions for vehicle manufacturing. At the heart of this is ARBOBLEND®, a high-performance bio-based material containing approximately 94 per cent renewable raw materials (calculated as Biobased Carbon Content – BCC).
The material is produced using residual and by-products from forestry and agriculture, thereby providing a sustainable alternative to fossil-based raw materials. At the same time, ARBOBLEND® enables the upcycling of industrial biomass into high-quality technical components for automotive applications.
A particular advantage lies in its industrial processability: the components can be manufactured using conventional injection moulding technology and, through adapted process control, can be reliably integrated into existing production processes. Together with the project partner Horst Hähl Kunststoffspritzguss & Werkzeugbau GmbH, the reliable processing of innovative bio-based materials using conventional injection moulding is being implemented.
Furthermore, ARBOBLEND® has a particularly low global warming potential. Within the ‘cradle-to-gate’ system boundaries, this stands at approximately –1.44 kg CO₂-eq./kg. Production takes place in Germany.
TECNARO has been a supplier to the automotive industry since 2005, providing technical components critical to safety, and has been working with Daimler for many years. In addition to specific development projects, the collaboration also includes joint research initiatives such as the ARBOCAR research project, which aims to develop high-performance bio-based lignin materials for the automotive industry.
Technical advantages
- Use of bio-based and recyclable material solutions in commercial vehicle manufacturing
- Approx. 94 % renewable raw materials (BCC)
- Use of residual and by-products from forestry and agriculture
- Upcycling of industrial biomass into technical vehicle components
- Processing using conventional injection moulding technology
- Seamless integration into existing industrial manufacturing processes
- Global warming potential of approx. –1.44 kg CO₂-eq./kg (‘cradle to gate’)
- Contribution to the reduction of Scope 3 emissions along the value chain
Result
The jointly developed concept vehicle exemplifies how sustainable materials and the circular economy can be implemented in industrial vehicle manufacturing. Close collaboration between industry, materials and recycling partners has resulted in a holistic approach that combines environmental responsibility with technical performance.
With its expertise in materials, TECNARO is making a significant contribution to the development of sustainable vehicle generations and demonstrating how bio-based high-performance materials can be increasingly used in technical industrial applications in future – without compromising on industrial processability, quality or functionality.
The findings from the project are intended to be incorporated into future series production applications and to set new standards for sustainable material concepts in commercial vehicle manufacturing.
Project partners
Daimler Truck AG, FAUN Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KG, ArcelorMittal Flat Europe, AUNDE Achter & Ebels GmbH, Bauer Thermoforming GmbH & Co. KG, BORSI GmbH & Co. KG, BPREG Composites, CENTROTHERM Systemtechnik GmbH, Continental Tyres, Exipnos GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials Research IFAM, Gestamp, Golden Compound GmbH, HÖRMANN Automotive Gustavsburg GmbH, Horst Hähl Kunststoffspritzguss & Werkzeugbau GmbH, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., Maxion Wheels Holding GmbH, MOCOM Compounds GmbH & Co. KG, Mürdter Metall- und Kunststoffverarbeitung GmbH, Nature Compound GmbH, Hydro, POLYTEC Holding AG, REMONDIS Recycling GmbH & Co. KG, Saarstahl AG, Saint-Gobain Sekurit Transport, SENOPLAST Klepsch & Co. GmbH, SKA Sitze GmbH, sunextrusion GmbH, TECNARO GmbH, thyssenkrupp Gerlach GmbH, TSR Group GmbH & Co. KG, Weitzer Woodsolutions GmbH
Published 05/2026
