As petrolheads, seeing a car demolished and then crushed into a cube of crumpled metal is painful to watch. We know that a car can change hands several times and continue to drive for several years before reaching the logical end of its life – when it becomes too expensive to keep running. Even then, there is still some value in its pieces that can be repurposed, upcycled, or repurposed.

Until recently, the industry around car end-of-life disposal was largely unorganized. It is a complicated and ambiguous process to get a car or two-wheeler recycled with the proper Road Transport Office (RTO) paperwork in place. Many owners choose to sell or park and forget their car instead.

After the government announced new guidelines for disposal in August, new businesses have emerged in the vehicle recycling business. One of them is Maruti Toyotsu India (MSTI), which has a scrapping center in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. We went there to witness their car scrapping process and spoke to the company about their history, current operations and future plans for expansion.

Which cars are scrapped at MSTI?

The company can scrap passenger cars and SUVs of all makes and models at the Noida plant. MSTI receives these cars from several sources such as used car dealerships and individual owners.

Certain conditions could make your car susceptible to scrapping, such as:

• Its registration certificate has already expired and cannot be renewed or transferred.

• The vehicle is damaged or broken and it is not financially viable to have it repaired.

• If the car fails the fitness tests at one of the authorized inspection centers, it will have to be scrapped.

• The car is confiscated by the authorities.

Under new government rules, a vehicle can be used and re-registered as long as it meets emissions and fitness regulations and undergoes an inspection every five years after the first registration renewal.

Nevertheless, the Delhi state government maintains its ban on petrol vehicles over fifteen years old and diesel cars over ten years old. Other than scrapping, selling the vehicle in a different condition within the 15 or 10 year period is the only recourse for car owners in the National Capital Region (NCR).

How does MSTI scrap a vehicle?

Each car is stripped down to its bare metal subframe which is crushed into a cube for easy transportation out of the facility. Components and subassemblies such as engines, airbags, catalytic converters and suspensions are sent to offsite facilities for further dismantling and reuse or recycling. The whole process takes about 200 minutes.

The process of scrapping a car is described below:

Step 1: Supply, transfer and inspection

Once a car or SUV’s paperwork has been verified and it is deemed fit for disposal (no disputes, fees or pending taxes), MSTI takes it to the establishment for inspection prior to disposal.

First, the car is checked for radioactive materials that can be hazardous to the health of workers. A forklift lifts the vehicle and drives it through the radioactive scanner. If the car fails this test, if it has been exposed to radioactive dust at a nuclear power plant, for example, it cannot be scrapped at the facility. There is a risk of contamination not only at MSTI, but also in other off-site centers and in the foundry where the components are sent.

Step 2: Preprocessing

The disassembly process begins with the removal of the tires. If the vehicle was powered by CNG, the gas in the system is extracted with a pump to avoid the risk of fire. In addition, the battery, AC coolant, spare tire and other accessories are also removed.

Step 3: Depollution

Then the vehicle is lifted onto a raised platform and all of its fluids – engine and gearbox oil, windshield wiper fluid, petrol or diesel – are drained into large tanks. Technicians ensure that there is no spillage to avoid contamination of the environment. Additionally, they also remove the muffler from the car at this point.

Step 4: Dismantling the bodywork

The car converts from the raised platform to a mobile platform at ground level. At this point, technicians remove the doors, hood, bumpers, fenders, and other sheet metal components from the exterior. Now the interior is more accessible for the next process.

Step 5: Removing Interior Parts

Inside, the technicians remove the seats, the carpets and floor mats and the headliner. The steering wheel and dashboard are also recovered at this stage.

Step 6: AC Components

Once the interior is cleared of parts, it’s time to remove the mechanical sub-assemblies such as the AC plumbing and power steering systems.

Step 7: Engine disassembly

Then the car is mounted on a scissor lift for engine and transmission disassembly. Technicians dismantle the brakes, wiring harness and suspension components.

Step 8: Final disassembly

This is the final step in the disassembly process, and at this point you are only left with the windshield and some components such as the power steering motor. It all has to come out, and the car is then ready for the press.

Step 9: Grinding in the press

At this point the car was stripped of its bare subframe. It is lifted in the baler, a hydraulic press that crushes and shapes the body into a cube of metal. The crushed frame is then processed in a foundry which extracts the steel and shapes it into billets which are used to make different items such as building materials.

Each of the components, body panels and interior parts are inspected and organized into different boxes, depending on their condition and reusability. Scrapping of the vehicle is complete at this point and MSTI issues a Certificate of Destruction to the owner which can be used to de-register the vehicle at the RTO and to obtain incentives (mentioned below) in the future.

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What is MSTI?

Maruti Suzuki Toyotsu India is a joint venture between three companies – Maruti Suzuki (MSIL), Toyota Tsusho India and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. It has been in operation since November 23, 2021. Currently, it has a single facility located near Delhi, but there are plans to open a new facility in Gujarat, possibly after 2025. Later, the company plans to set up disposal centers in other states. as well as.

MSTI’s facility is a well-equipped operation with trained technicians who dismantle vehicles and organize their components. The campus covers 10,993 square meters and has a capacity to process up to 24,000 vehicles per year. It had been set up with an investment of Rs 44.1 crore between 2019 and 2021.

Besides Maruti Suzuki, other automakers and companies are working to set up scrap centers across the country. Tata Motors has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra for car scrapping facilities in the states.

How can I have my car scrapped at the Maruti Toyotsu factory?

If you are looking to have your old passenger vehicle scrapped, you can contact the Maruti-Toyotsu Noida factory on their MSTI official website for a quote. The company checks your car’s registration certificate and then contacts the RTO to see if the car is good for scrapping. This part of the process can take up to six days.

Once approvals are received (or the RTO does not respond, in which case the car is assumed to be approved within six days), MSTI will contact you and calculate the scrap value based on its own database of international parts prices and national. . If you agree, the car can be scrapped on site and the company will debit the amount from your bank account. According to company representatives, the scrap value can vary from 30,000 to 80,000 depending on the weight, size and condition of the car parts. The certificate of destruction is sent to the owner by e-mail.

What are the incentives to scrap a car at MSTI?

On April 1, 2022, the government will announce incentives for new car buyers who have scrapped their older vehicles at one of the government-registered scrapping facilities. They will get up to 25% reduction on the amount of road tax for their new vehicle and exemption from registration fees.

The biggest incentive is for the environment – unorganized scrap yards contribute to environmental pollution and contamination of water bodies due to oil leaks, spills and disposal incorrect parts. In comparison, the Maruti-Toyotsu facility takes care to avoid collateral damage to the environment from the disposal process.

With an increasing number of cars on our roads, it’s only a matter of time before old cars become a significant problem. But facilities like MSTI bring much-needed organization to the vehicle recycling process. Upcoming government incentives and the simple and straightforward process of scrapping a car at MSTI could motivate more car owners to properly dispose of their vehicles, if only to save a few thousand rupees on their next purchase car.