Toyota manufactures engines with old rims

Toyota shakes up the automotive industry by transforming used alloy wheels into new engine blocks.

At the heart of Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK’s (TMUK) site in Burnaston, Derbyshire, is the first European Toyota Circular Factory, inaugurated in 2025. This pioneering project recovers aluminum from alloy wheels to reuse it in the manufacturing of engine components for locally produced Toyota Corollas.

The process is particularly clever. The alloy wheels are collected, processed, and transformed into high-quality aluminum. This aluminum is then sent to the Deeside plant, where it is used to produce hybrid powertrains. These engines then return to Burnaston to equip new Corollas, thus closing a perfect circular loop. The first vehicle produced from this process rolled off the assembly line on March 19.

Inspired by the principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS), the Circular Factory applies globally recognized efficiency methods, but in reverse: from disassembly to the reintegration of materials. It goes beyond recycling. It analyzes end-of-life vehicles (Toyota, Lexus, and even other brands) to glean valuable insights for future design. The result: cars that are easier to disassemble, repair, and restore, thereby extending their lifecycle.

New from old

This approach directly supports Toyota’s strategy for carbon neutrality by 2040 in Europe, as part of the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050. It reduces dependence on virgin raw materials, improves material traceability, and complies with new European regulations on the recycling of end-of-life vehicles.

Leon Van Der Merwe, Vice President of Toyota Motor Europe in charge of the circular economy, explains: “We are applying the same efficiency concept from TPS to circularity to make the best use of materials from end-of-life vehicles and reduce environmental impact.”

Ali Umit Sengezer, director of the Toyota Circular Factory, adds: “Less than a year after its launch, we are already drawing key lessons to integrate circularity into the design of future vehicles.”

Burnaston was chosen for its expertise in hybrid production and its position in a mature end-of-life vehicle market in the UK. Toyota is already planning to open a second Circular Factory this year in Poland, in Wałbrzych, to expand this model across Europe.

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Innovation

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By replacing the traditional linear model with a concrete circular economy, Toyota demonstrates that industrial performance and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand. From used wheels to new engines: a virtuous loop that redefines the future of the automobile.

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