A Comprehensive Review on Design for Recycling Strategies for Electric Vehicles Drives

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector is a key aspect of current global climate mitigation measures. Conventional vehicles are increasingly being replaced by low- and zero-emission vehicles, most of which have an electric drive. Due to the electrification of individual transport, the end-of-life (EoL) management of electric vehicles (EVs) is gaining importance. Besides the traction battery, the electric drive is a key system that contains strategically important raw materials such as copper and rare earth metals. At present, however, there is generally no dedicated utilization of EoL traction drives, resulting in inefficient processing and significant loss of resources. To address this issue, the design of the drives must be aligned with the intended value recovery strategy. This aspect is often neglected in current designs in favor of functionality and manufacturability. In this context, this literature review provides a comprehensive analysis of current Design for Recycling (DfR) strategies to enhance circular economy for automotive EV drives. In addition to DfR, interactions between product design and alternative approaches such as reuse and remanufacturing are also considered. The study aims for the identification of design principles, production technologies, and regulatory frameworks that facilitate efficient disassembly and the separation and recovery of materials and components. Particular attention is given to design aspects such as modularity, material compatibility, joining technologies, and component labeling. In addition, relevant standards and guidelines are critically assessed with regard to their applicability to electric drive systems. Given the variety of EV drivetrain architectures, different drive topologies and motor types are examined, with consideration of current trends. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for the product development of recycling-friendly electric traction drives.