How IMDS Enables ELV Compliance and Circular Economy Goals in Automotive Manufacturing

In today’s automotive supply chain, compliance isn’t optional; it’s the baseline. And when it comes to meeting the EU End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive, the International Material Data System (IMDS) is the cornerstone.

You can’t build sustainable vehicles or circular value chains without knowing exactly what materials go into every component. That’s where IMDS delivers.

The ELV Directive: Why It Still Drives Automotive Compliance

The EU ELV Directive (2000/53/EC) requires that 95% of a vehicle’s total weight must be recovered or recycled at end-of-life. It also bans hazardous substances like lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium, unless specifically exempted.

If you’re supplying components to OEMs doing business in Europe, you're already on the hook for:

• Full material declaration
• Proving that your parts are recyclable
• Ensuring banned substances are not present, or are properly exempted
• Supporting dismantling, recovery, and reuse requirements

But let’s be clear: the ELV Directive is no longer just an EU problem. OEMs globally now mirror these standards, and failing to meet them can cost you business.

Where IMDS Comes In

IMDS is the data backbone that lets suppliers declare what materials are used, how much, and where. It supports a structured format:

• Component

  • Material

    • Substance

Each entry is tied to real substance-level data, allowing OEMs to screen against GADSL, REACH SVHCs, and ELV bans all in one place.

Want to stay on an OEM’s AVL? IMDS is not just preferred, it’s expected.

Recyclability and the Circular Economy

The ELV Directive was early legislation for circular economy goals, but it’s been amplified by the EU Green Deal, CSRD, and rising EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) mandates.

Here’s where IMDS makes circularity measurable:

• Ensures your components are free from non-recyclables
• Enables design-for-recycling evaluations
• Provides a digital record to support post-use recovery
• Supports PCF tracking and future Digital Product Passports

Circularity isn’t just a buzzword; it’s becoming a commercial requirement. Without IMDS, you have no structured way to prove material sustainability.

Supplier Impact: What You Need to Do

Let’s make this real. If you’re a supplier, your ELV/IMDS responsibilities include:

1. Creating Material Data Sheets (MDS) for each component.
2. Declaring all substances even down to 0.1% threshold levels.
3. Ensuring recyclability declarations meet the 85%/95% targets.
4. Screening against GADSL and other banned substance lists.
5. Keeping declarations updated as materials change.
6. Responding to OEM rejections and validation requests.

Failure to comply means delays, loss of contracts, and non-compliance penalties down the line.

Real Risks of Ignoring IMDS

If you’re still using Excel BOMs and supplier PDFs, you’re exposed:

• Untraceable substance data = risk of hidden SVHCs
• Non-verifiable recyclability = ELV violations
• Missed thresholds = failed customer audits

And when ELV gets stricter in 2026 (which it will), guess what? You’re behind.

How Acquis Simplifies IMDS + ELV Compliance

With Acquis, you don’t have to chase down suppliers or interpret spreadsheets. We automate the hard stuff:

• Automated GADSL/REACH/ELV screening from Day 1
• Structured MDS generation in IMDS-ready format
• Recyclability tracking to meet the 85%/95% targets
• Supplier collaboration workflows with real-time updates
• Change management + audit trail to stay current

Bonus: If you’re also tracking Product Carbon Footprint or building toward Digital Product Passports, we’ve already integrated that into the workflow.

See how Acquis helps with IMDS, ELV & Circularity