Autopromotec Dialogues: in Milan we discovered the unexplored world of End-of-Life Vehicles
On June 23, 2026, the headquarters of the Automobile Club Milano hosted the first meeting of the Autopromotec Dialogues, a series of meetings dedicated to the press that outlines the path towards the 31st edition of Autopromotec. The international biennial of automotive equipment and aftermarket will return to BolognaFiere from May 26 to May 29, 2027, consolidating its role as a compass for an industry undergoing profound transformation. This first meeting, titled "ELV Revolution: when the end becomes a new beginning", was not a conference for insiders folded in on themselves; it was a concrete signal that the paradigm shift is already underway.
The morning session was led by Roberto Sposini, a journalist and editor-in-chief of Lifegate, who framed the end-of-life of vehicles as an increasingly central junction in the industrial transformation of the sector.
The ELV Regulation: a historic change
There is a date that those working in the automotive and aftermarket would do well to remember: June 18, 2026. It is the day the European Parliament definitively approved the new Regulation on the Circularity of Vehicles and the Management of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV). The text must now be formally adopted by the Council of the European Union, after which the application will start 24 months after its entry into force. The underlying philosophy is radical: the end-of-life vehicle is no longer a waste to be disposed of, but a resource to be reintegrated into the production cycle. The regulation strengthens the criteria for ecodesign, pushing towards vehicles that are more easily disassembled, repaired, and recycled, with clearer indications for the removal and replacement of components. Steel, aluminum, copper, plastic, still functioning components: everything becomes part of a new value chain where the moment of demolition ceases to be the final point and increasingly resembles a starting point. After this brief but necessary introduction to the topic, several experts and industry representatives illustrated what the regulation implies from different perspectives.
Lorella Volpato (ADA): the sector is already ready
Lorella Volpato, Vice President of ADA - Automotive Demolition Association and CEO of Autodemolizioni Volpato, brought news worth listening to: the sector is not chasing the regulation; it is ahead of it. According to the latest ISPRA reports referenced in the debate, the automotive demolition sector already exceeds the target of 85% reuse and recycling calculated on the weight of treated vehicles. These are companies that have invested in technology, traceability, and industrial processes, and they are approaching the new regulatory scenario from a position of strength. As Volpato herself summarized: "The end of life of the vehicle is not the last stage of the supply chain: it is the point from which value restarts."
It is interesting to note how from the Vice President's words it emerged that auto demolishers are no longer what is commonly believed; they are small and medium-sized Italian enterprises that employ a considerable workforce and have faced a significant evolution, including technological changes, for quite some time.
Luca De Vita (ANFIA): designed circularity, not added
Luca De Vita, Head of Institutional Relations and Technical and Regulatory Affairs at ANFIA - National Association of Automotive Industry Supply Chain, focused on the concrete implications of the regulation for manufacturers. The text introduces a progressive path on the content of recycled plastic in vehicles: 15% within six years, 25% within ten years, with at least 20% coming from closed-loop recycling of end-of-life vehicles. The thresholds for 85% recyclability/reusability and 95% recoverability/reusability remain confirmed, but with updated calculation methodologies that also touch on the management of multistage vehicles. The message is clear: "Circularity does not get added to the car afterwards: it must be designed into the car from the start." For this reason, the challenge for manufacturers is genuinely significant. From the outside, vehicles must inevitably look as they have always appeared, but inside they must hide a completely different way of designing them, already considering the end of life and the recovery of nearly all the materials used.
Manuela Crippa (Stellantis-SUSTAINera): a value that never ends
On the industrial side, Manuela Crippa, Head of Circular Economy Global Commercial and Marketing Development at Stellantis-SUSTAINera, demonstrated how Design for Circular Economy is not just a slogan but an operational process already in place. The approach ensures that end-of-life materials and components are aimed at both closed-loop recycling and reuse as certified used original parts. In a country where the average age of the circulating fleet reaches 12-13 years, certified used parts represent a concrete answer: savings of up to 70% compared to new, with measurable environmental benefits. "The end of a vehicle does not coincide with the end of its value: it is the beginning of a new cycle," Crippa said, summarizing a vision that unites sustainability and economic accessibility.
Moreover, the representative from the manufacturing world emphasized how used, regenerated, or nearly new parts often represent a resource that solves problems, such as reducing vehicle downtime in the absence of new parts, or for older vehicles whose parts are no longer easily available on the market.
GiPA Italia (Amodio and Gougeon): the market responds
The circular transition is not only about factories and regulations: it also concerns those who repair cars and those who drive them every day. Rosaria Amodio, Business Development Manager at GiPA Italia, and Romain Gougeon, Country Manager for Italy, presented the data from an observatory active in over 30 countries. The numbers come from France, a pioneer in the transition: 81% of repairers understand the concept of circular economy parts, 78% are informed about the regulations, 96% consider these solutions a valid alternative when new parts are unavailable, 88% see them as a competitive advantage, and 85% of motorists react positively to the proposal of a circular supply part. The conclusion is what every operator in the sector should print on their bulletin board: "The circular transition really works when it builds trust: in repairers, in motorists, and in the market."
France has taken early steps in this regard. French legislation requires that repairers must obligatorily inform consumers about the possibility of having used and regenerated parts, while leaving the final decision to the customer, of course. But this routine has led to the habit of considering used parts as an existing and valid alternative, something that in Italy is still far from being a rule.
Daniele Bresolin (Bresolin Spa): data, compliance, and no improvisation
Daniele Bresolin, CEO and founding partner of Bresolin Spa, brought to the table the technological and operational dimension of circularity. The thesis is straightforward: "to transform scrap into resources, strict rules and digital, controlled processes are needed." Today, technology allows for mapping the vehicle from acquisition through all safety processes – hazardous liquid cleaning, documentation management – eliminating administrative risks and ensuring full regulatory compliance. The circular economy is not built solely on good intentions: it is built with data and a clear vision of compliance.
Bresolin thus confirms what was said at the beginning, that demolition companies have already faced a significant evolution and claim their role as a resource and protagonist for the entire automotive supply chain.
The final word: Enrica Lazzarini (Autopromotec)
The session concluded with Enrica Lazzarini, CEO of Autopromotec, who highlighted the value of the path initiated with the Autopromotec Dialogues – an evolution of the Talks from the last edition – as a space for discussion on topics destined to redefine the future of the sector. The message left from the Milanese morning is shared by all protagonists: in the new European scenario, the end of a vehicle is no longer the conclusion of a process but the beginning of a new value chain.