Automotive
ELV: The End-of-Life Vehicles Regime and the DPP
What the end-of-life vehicles framework requires, how recycled content targets work and why part-level traceability matters for suppliers.
The end-of-life vehicles (ELV) regime governs vehicle recovery at end of life, and with its renewed framework it reaches further into the design phase: recycled content targets, disassembly requirements and part-level information duties.
What it covers
| Topic | Content |
|---|---|
| Recovery targets | Reuse and recovery rates by vehicle weight |
| Design requirements | Disassembly, material marking |
| Recycled content | Minimum shares, particularly in plastics |
| Information provision | Disassembly information and hazardous component locations |
| Hazardous substances | Restrictions and exemptions |
The recycled plastic target
The most debated provision in the new ELV framework is a minimum recycled content share for plastics used in vehicles. That target lands on component suppliers as a direct data and sourcing requirement: how much recycled plastic is in which part, and how is it evidenced?
See proving recycled content and DPP in automotive.
Disassembly information
Treatment facilities need to know where each component sits to dismantle a vehicle efficiently: battery, airbag inflators, fluids, catalytic converter, electronic modules. Today that is shared through specialist databases; a passport moves it into a standard structure.
See circularity and recyclability.
The battery passport link
A vehicle battery has its own passport, mandatory from 18 February 2027. The ELV regime deals with removing it and routing it to second life or recycling. Both regimes speak through the same unit identity. See the battery passport guide and battery state of health.
Preparing as a supplier
- Build a part-level material breakdown. See preparing a bill of materials.
- Establish the evidence chain for recycled content in plastic parts.
- Review your material marking practice (plastic identification codes, for instance).
- Consolidate OEM specifications into one data dictionary.
Frequently asked questions
Does ELV introduce a DPP?
Rather than a "vehicle passport" it introduces part and material information duties — which in practice use the same data infrastructure.
Am I affected as a spare parts manufacturer?
Yes. Material declarations and recycled content requirements arrive through OEM contracts.
How do I verify a recycled plastic share?
Through a certified supply chain and mass balance records, with the method declared.
