Our activities in the aluminium supply chain.

Aluminium is a light metal that is used in various fields due to its properties - high electrical and thermal conductivity, low density, high strength-to-weight ratio. It is a very soft metal that is relatively easy to process by casting, forming, machining, welding or soldering.

Occurrence, extraction, production

Aluminium is the third most common element and the most common metal in the earth's crust and, on top of that, the most widely used light metal. Due to its reactive character, it is only found in bound form, for instance as oxide, hydroxide or silicate. The only economically important aluminium ore for further processing into aluminium is bauxite. The red rock was formed from the weathering of various, mostly magmatic rocks and consists of various aluminium oxide and hydroxide compounds such as gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore.

The largest mining areas for aluminium-bearing soils are located in Australia, Brazil, Guinea and China. Deposits for bauxite are mostly shallow and close to the surface. The deposits can be found two to ten meters below the earth's surface. Due to the storage conditions, bauxite is mainly extracted in opencast mining. Usually, the removed layers of earth are then backfilled for recultivation.

From bauxite to primary aluminium

The bauxite is first ground and mixed with caustic soda. In this first step, the aluminium hydroxide compounds contained in the ore are split off, separated from foreign substances and subsequently burned to aluminium oxide.

In order to break down the aluminium oxide into its components, it is then dissolved in a cryolite melt and subjected to a high direct electrical current. This causes liquid aluminium to settle at the bottom of the electrolysis furnace. The oxygen combines with the graphite of the anode to form carbon dioxide. The process of electrochemical fused-salt electrolysis is very energy-intensive.

On average, 15 megawatt hours of electricity are required for one tonne of primary aluminium. That's about as much as an average household consumes in four years.

Usage

Aluminium is increasingly replacing steel in vehicle construction, in particular because of its lightness. The reduced overall weight improves the energy efficiency in the use of the vehicle. In the case of electric vehicles, the lower weight increases the range. The amount of aluminium used in our vehicles varies depending on the vehicle model. In the entry segment, for instance, it is about 360 kilograms, with only about 10 percent accounted for by the body.

Another advantage of using aluminium for the body is its formability. In the event of an impact, the energy can be better dissipated.

Due to its properties, aluminium is also used in batteries - on average it is 90 kilograms per battery. 50 kilograms protect the battery as a housing, and cell blocks are made from another 40 kilograms.

Low-carbon Aluminium

Depending on the model, the use of aluminium in vehicles accounts for on average more than 20 percent of the total CO₂ footprint. The reason for this is the high energy consumption for the production of this light metal. Accordingly, the greatest potential for CO₂ savings lies in using renewable energy in the production of aluminium.

Use of secondary aluminium

To keep the consumption of primary resources as low as possible, we are increasingly using recycled aluminium. Secondary aluminium requires less energy to produce than primary aluminium.

As part of the partnership with Hydro, Mercedes-Benz will integrate Hydro CIRCAL into series production for the next generation of large electric vehicles from 2027 onwards. Hydro CIRCAL is recycled aluminium made with at least 75 percent post-consumer recyclate, compared with around 25 percent in the material currently supplied. 

Our standards

Mercedes-Benz is committed to the application of certificates and standards, for example our Responsible Sourcing Standards. Mercedes-Benz is also a member of the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), which promotes cross-commodity standards for industrial mining.

Mercedes-Benz Procurement uses the industry-recognised Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard for Responsible Mining as a key criteria for relevant raw material in supplier selection and contracting processes. The IRMA Standard includes requirements related to human rights, environmental topics and other social aspects associated with industrial mining activities. 

Mining of the raw material bauxite, which is needed to produce aluminium, is attracting criticism, especially in Guinea, due to social and ecological aspects and the consequences for the local population. Bauxite is therefore one of the potential raw materials of risk that Mercedes-Benz is examining more closely with respect to human rights risks. One of the salient risk areas prioritiszed in our assessment for aluminium is Community and Indigenous Rights with a particular regional focus on the Brazilian Amazon and Guinea.

Mercedes-Benz works closely with aluminium supplier Hydro across the aluminium value chain. Together, the companies launched the joint initiative Corridor Program in Brazil, strengthening social responsibility and human rights due diligence along the supply chain.

This article was last updated in Septemnber 2026.