GeoCircle - Circularity design using geometric time-series analysis of the usage phase of Light Electric Vehicles

The GeoCircle project focuses on promoting the circularity of light electric vehicles (LEVs) through data-driven approaches using geometric time-series analysis. The growing popularity of LEVs as environmentally friendly mobility solutions calls for innovative strategies to enhance their resource efficiency and durability. The project aims to develop strategies that extend the service life of LEVs and their components while minimizing the demand for primary resources. Despite increasing sustainability requirements, the implementation of circular value chains in the context of LEVs remains challenging. In particular, approaches that systematically analyze the dynamic use of LEVs to understand wear patterns and enable resilient product designs are still lacking. Existing models rarely capture the full potential of extensive time-series data, resulting in limited knowledge of the use phase. The GeoCircle research project addresses this gap.

By applying geometric algorithms and structured time-series data, detailed insights into wear, degradation, and damage mechanisms are generated, serving as a foundation for comprehensive data-driven life cycle assessments. The resulting findings form the basis for tailored design and usage strategies that extend product lifetimes and operating periods and ultimately aim at full circularity.

Key project activities include:

1. Development of a structured, semantic dataset for LEV products
2.  Identification of usage patterns and anomalies using geometric algorithms (Fréchet distances)
3. Detailed description of wear and damage causalities through time-series analysis
4. Identification of components and materials with high stress and failure probability (e.g., batteries, electric motors, control units)
5. Derivation of R-strategies to mitigate wear processes and prevent premature component failures
6. Real-world validation of the developed digital design tool with practice partners

Overall, the project contributes to achieving global sustainability goals through practice-oriented research by providing methods and tools to extend product lifetimes and operating periods while incorporating ecological assessment.

The research is conducted by Bochum University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the recycling and recovery specialist elorec GmbH and the micromobility provider Dott.

Project lead

Project duration: 02/2026 – 01/2030

Funding provider: Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space Affairs (BMFTR)

Project sponsor: VDI

Funding program: HAW Forschungspraxis

Funding reference: 13HAW11PX4

Funding amount:  1.018.263,91 €

HSBO project lead: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Semih Severengiz, Prof. Dr. Christian Scheffer