- Mercedes will swap glue for screws in future headlight units.
- Headlight lenses may be replaced without full assembly cost.
- Plan supports circular manufacturing and recyclability goals.
Plenty of automakers are innovative, but few have a track record similar to that of Mercedes. The German automaker has long led the way in terms of safety, comfort, and production. Now, it’s innovating by doing what might sound like a step backward.
It’s leaning into something far more fundamental: replacing glue with screws in key components. And that’s just the beginning.
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As part of a new circularity-focused plan known as Tomorrow XX, the German automaker is rethinking how it builds some components. For example, its headlights are likely to get a design change. Typically, modern light assemblies use glue as their main bonding agent.
While it’s technically possible to open one of these units after it’s been glued, the process is so tricky and tedious that it’s realistically out of reach for the average owner, and yes, there are ways, but they’re far from practical.
To that end, such units are effectively disposable once a single component fails. In the future, Mercedes wants those same components assembled with screws rather than with glue.
Rethinking the Seams
The change sounds simple, but the implications are significant. If a headlight lens is damaged by a stone chip, for example, it could be unscrewed and replaced on its own, rather than forcing owners or insurers to replace an entire adaptive LED assembly.
Depending on the model and headlamp type, replacement costs can range from around $500 to well over $3,000 per unit, especially for high-spec Multibeam LED systems.
That alone could cut repair costs substantially while also reducing waste. Notably, U.S. regulation doesn’t allow for replaceable headlight lenses, but other nations could still benefit.
This back-to-basics mindset extends beyond lighting. Mercedes is exploring easier-to-disassemble interior door panels by replacing ultrasonic welding with reversible thermoplastic rivets. When a vehicle reaches the end of its life, those panels could be broken down by material instead of getting shredded as a whole.
Recycled, Not Reinvented
Recycled materials are already making their way into production models. The upcoming CLA-Class features a windshield washer tank made from 100 percent recycled polypropylene and bumpers containing 25 percent recycled material.
Mercedes is also experimenting with engine mounts made from recycled airbags, sound insulation from old tires, and synthetic leather derived partly from repurposed plastics. These all seem like small-ish changes, but together, they could have a large impact… especially over time.
