Circularity in Automotive Electronics Design: A Comparative Evaluation of Headlight Control Units

The increasing integration of electronics in vehicles intensifies the problem of electronic waste and requires more sustainable design practices. To assess the current state of design, in this paper, a comprehensive analysis of 113 vehicle headlight Electronic Control Units (ECUs) from various manufacturers and vehicle classes based on the data from the A2Mac1 benchmarking platform is investigated. The basic product structure is summarized in a generic ECU model with averaged design properties, which can serve as a baseline for sustainability studies. In addition, the examination of the ECUs reveals advantageous and hindering design choices for circular design strategies, which are evaluated with a comparative circularity assessment. Joining methods such as rivet joints and adhesives are currently widespread, resulting in damage-free disassembly rates of 29.2 % for the housing and 25.7 % for the printed circuit board assembly. Finally, the suggestions from the 2023 proposal for the renewal of the European end-of-life vehicle regulation were applied to the ECUs examined. It was found that if the proposal is accepted, there is acute potential for action in accessibility to the printed circuit boards as all ECUs exceed the surface area limit of 10 cm 2 and must therefore be dismantled for recycling.