Circular Economy in E-Scooter Manufacturing

Circular Economy in E-Scooter Manufacturing 1
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ELECTRIC MOBILITY SCOOTER MANUFACTURING
A Research Paper on Circular Economy By
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Circular Economy in E-Scooter Manufacturing 2
INTRODUCTION
This assessment paper requires a sustainability manager of an electric mobility scooters
manufacturing company to investigate the need of applying the concept of the circular economy
to the manufacturing company and also to the manufactured products. The current method used
by the company in the production of the electric mobility scooter for the disabled is the linear
energy and the material flows. A circular economy is a sustainable approach in which there is the
creation of economic models with no production of advanced environmental impacts. The
circular economy is characterized by the reuse and recycling of materials used in the
manufacturing process. There is also the need for evaluating the extent to which the future
business model and products used in the manufacturing process may impact on the sustainability
of the company.
The assessment will also entail the systematic understanding of the activities and
processes that take place during the industrial production of electric mobility scooter for the
disabled and also the life cycle of the materials used in the manufacture from their raw materials
until they are disposed of. The materials used in the mobility scooter manufacturing can be
classified into electrical, miscellaneous, and structural components. The individual materials
used in the mobility scooter manufacturing include wheel, chassis, seat assembly, wires,
switches, motors, tyres, transmission system, bodywork, and upholstery (Allwood, 2011).
Some of these materials are supplied by other producers are then assembled by the
company when making the mobility scooter, while others are manufactured within the company
and then assembled during the process of manufacturing. Majority of the electrical materials are
supplied to the firm by other producers and all the structural components are manufactured by

Circular Economy in E-Scooter Manufacturing 3
the component and then assembled (Bakker, 2013). The figure below shows the components
used in the production of the electric mobility scooter:
Figure 1: Components of E-Scooter (Bocken, 2016)
Circular Flow of Components
Structural Components 775052, 778442
The structural materials used during electric mobility scooter manufacturing include
chassis, wheels, suspension system, and seat assembly. Most structural components are directly
produced by the company making it easy for the firm to recycle or reuse the disposed of
components by the operators. The chassis is the interior structural section of the E-scooter which
provides support to the transmission system, steering and wheel systems. The materials used in
the production of chassis include titanium, aluminium, steel, and magnesium. The system of
suspension is an assembly of shock absorbers and springs and can be of two classes, specifically
front and rear suspension. The convertible hood is also a structural component and is used to
protect the driver from advanced weather conditions like rain, dust, or sunlight (Boothroyd,
2009).

Circular Economy in E-Scooter Manufacturing 4
One of the major ways in which the company can ensure the circular flow of structural
materials mentioned above is to reduce the weight and size of these parts, this will promote
energy efficiency while reducing the cost of repair and construction of roads. This step has been
promoted because of pressure to reduce pollution and escalate the prices and scarcity of raw
materials. Many companies are currently engaging in numerous arrangements focused on the
product advances and technological processes. During the process of disassembly, the valuable
structural components should be removed after removing hazardous components. The structural
materials that are cost-effective include chassis, bodywork, and suspension and these
components can easily be recycled and significant metals like magnesium, copper, and
aluminium are recovered (Charter, 2009).
The first process of evaluating the life cycle of components used in the manufacture of
electric mobility scooter circular is to sort the disposed of structural components. Sorting of these
components makes it easy for the company to recycle these components or to the reused as spare
parts to replace the damaged parts of the operating mobility scooters. The sorting and
disassembly process starts with the removal of valuable components such as wheels, chassis, and
suspension system. The metallic structural components can be reused in the manufacture of other
metals through repairing and painting, or even recycling them through melting in a huge furnace
with a substantial quantity of energy (Commons, 2010).
Electrical Components
The major electrical materials used during electric mobility scooter manufacturing
include switches, circuit boards, motors, and batteries. The batteries are the major source of
power for this mobility scooter and they are kept on board. The batteries can be charged through
an onboard battery charger unit. The motors are also electrical components used in the vehicle