Mikel Arnao · Product Design Engineer
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p. 13Work 05 · Automotive · Sustainability

Mercedes V-Class air vent

Taking a premium air vent apart to find where its footprint hides, then cutting it.

My role
Worked with the team on the whole project and led the life-cycle assessment (LCA), the improvement goals and idea generation, and the evaluation of the environmental improvements. The brief covered analysis only, with no development phase.
Year
2025
Context
Academic · Environmental Aspects course
Team
Aimar Arauzo, Mikel Arnao, Ander Martín
Tools
IHOBE Climate & Circularity Calculator, MET matrix, weighted decision matrix
013D · drag to rotate

    Exploded view Simplified model of Mercedes V-Class air vent, generated in code.

    0%
    −85 %carbon footprint with a mono-material PP body
    −65 %ReCiPe endpoint with an efficient LED and road logistics
    84 %of the plastic recyclable in a single stream
    Interior of the 2025 V-Class with the round vents and ambient light.
    Fig. 02Interior of the 2025 V-Class with the round vents and ambient light.
    § 01

    Context and brief

    The round vent of the 2025 V-Class weighs 127 g and mixes PC+ABS, chrome-plated rings, brass-plated steel rods, TPE seals and an LED ambient-light board, for a 15-year, 250,000 km life. Chrome on ABS cannot be recycled and the parts cannot be separated at end of life.

    Goal: quantify the impact and propose redesigns without losing the premium feel.

    § 02

    Teardown

    Every part was taken apart, weighed and identified to build the inventory.

    Main body on the scale.
    Fig. 03Main body on the scale.
    Body and louvre assembly.
    Fig. 04Body and louvre assembly.
    Chrome trim ring.
    Fig. 05Chrome trim ring.
    § 03

    Life-cycle assessment

    Cradle-to-grave with the IHOBE calculator. Functional unit: directable airflow and ambient light for one occupant over 250,000 km. Four hotspots appeared:

    • Electronics (17 g) and PC+ABS (92 g) as raw materials
    • Air freight of the electronics from Taiwan
    • Chrome plating of the rings
    • LED energy in use: 3.75 kWh, about 1.5 L of diesel
    § 04

    Improvement goals and ideas

    Ideas from eight eco-design strategies were scored on technical and financial viability, environmental benefit and brand motivation. Three action families went forward: A, a more efficient LED (0.6 W to 0.1 W) built in Europe; B, colour-in-mould instead of chrome; C, recycled r-PC+ABS or mono-material PP.

    § 05

    Evaluation

    Nine concepts were assessed. Mono-material PP cut the carbon footprint by about 85 %; the wireless, efficient LED with road logistics cut the ReCiPe endpoint by about 65 %. Recycled PC+ABS came out worse than expected, probably because of dataset limits.

    Reduction of total impact (ReCiPe endpoint) per concept.
    Fig. 06Reduction of total impact (ReCiPe endpoint) per concept.
    § 06

    Result

    The final concept combines C2 + A2 + B2: mono-material, ultra-efficient and free of toxic plating. 84 % of the plastic becomes recyclable in a single stream.

    § 07

    Reflection

    Next steps: a heat-release joint so treatment plants can split rings from the body in one step, an LCA with the electric EQV's energy mix, and certified suppliers instead of generic proxies.

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