In addition to converting its entire light-duty vehicle lineup to all-electric powertrains by 2035, GM is also aiming to enhance the company’s sustainability through waste reduction. To that end, General Motors has launched a headlamp remanufacturing program that has already successfully prevented the equivalent of 100 truckloads of parts from ending up in landfills. The program was established in collaboration with Llink Technologies.
General Motors states that in a vehicle collision, the headlamp is one of the most commonly damaged components, with bumpers being the most commonly damaged. The automaker states that while many components in a headlamp can be salvaged, insurance company preferences on claims often dictate that the entire headlamp assembly is replaced, usually with a less-expensive aftermarket part. This results in many usable parts ending up in landfills.
“In 2017, a cross-functional team from GM – including Customer Care and Aftersales, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, and Product Engineering – identified this as an opportunity and began developing a headlamp remanufacturing process with supplier Llink Technologies,” the automaker says.
The headlamp remanufacturing program officially launched in 2021 for units of the 2016- through 2019-model-year Chevy Silverado, and is expected to expand to select units of the 2018- through 2020-model-year Chevy Equinox sometime in the future.
The team behind the program initially aimed to reuse 25 percent of components, but ended up exceeding that goal, with remanufactured cores eliminating as much as 95 percent of headlamp waste from reaching landfills. Additionally, it’s estimated that remanufacturing consumes up to 80 percent less energy than the comparable aftermarket manufacturing process.
The headlamp remanufacturing process includes replacement of the headlamp housing and lens, as well as reuse of internal components, including integrated circuit chips, materials, and fans. General Motors says that each assembly is tested in order to ensure OEM standards, and each component includes a two-year GM Parts warranty. In addition, the automaker states that the remanufactured component is cost competitive with aftermarket alternatives.
The program has remanufactured more than 13,000 headlamps since 2021.
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Comments
Great idea! This is a worthy venture. Good luck.
When it comes to headlights I’d take a GM reman unit over a new aftermarket one, even if it’s CAPA-certified
💡💡👀
Agreed
Good use.
Nothing to do with the environment. It’s all cost saving😏 just like reman alternators.
Worked at a steel mill in high school. For their job fairs they proclaimed they used 95% recycled metal. A blue haired activist asked how hard it was to get the recycled metal to which the HR rep gave her a blank expression and said,”people bring it to us and sell it and we negotiate the lowest acceptable price.”
There’s no “concern” for the environment with this. It’s just a very efficient way to do business.
Doesn’t mean it can’t be both. Good for business and for the environment.
Yeah! Now they charge you a “core charge” for buying an OEM headlamp and the price of shipping a return core back is so crazy it doesn’t make sense to try to do this. Complete insanity! I had to pay almost $900 for my headlamp for my 2020 Colorado and it took 2 tries to get me the right one even though I provided my VIN# on the order.
Just replaced both headlights for my 2007 GMC. Bought a pair on Amazon $110.00 China made, with bulbs and harness. It took about 2hrs with all LEDs installed. Tried to adjust them, only one would adjust. Sent them back and bought a pair of Doremans $150.00 still made in China and they didn’t need adjusting and better quality.
Quality in headlamps are all over the place.
Often you get what you pay for.
These even with a core will be better than most out there.
How many non-EV buyers is GM prepared to waste?
John Kerry just resigned so he could spend more time with his jets.
I have a 2018 Chevy Cruze. I just had an accident where two small mounts on the headlights broke. Gm wants $1,200 ea. To replace. This is outrageous. 40 years ago you could replace a headlight for $2. I’m so pissed off that I’m going to drive it with the broken brackets.
You realize you can get a new assembly on eBay for like $100 each right? I’m sure you can get the brackets too
Like other commenters have said, those eBay $100 headlights are the usual Chinese-made, low quality, non-adjustable crap Caveat Emptor !
No you can’t I’ve already looked into it
No insurance?
That’s a stupid question. Yes I have insurance on 5 vehicles with State farm. I asked my agent if they would raise my rates if I made a claim. They told me they could potentially raise them on all 5 vehicles for the next three years. They also told me if I made more than two claims in two years that they would drop me. Now what would you do wise guy.
Wondering if GM’s re-cycled headlights will turn yellow from exposure to the Sun with greatly reduced transparency to light like the stuff they have been buying and installing on their vehicles for a long time ?
You can thank Our Betters In Washington for plastic headlights. It’s a federal requirement. Something about a pedestrian hazard or some other nonsense.
A Mercedes convertible I bought used several years back had glass headlights; apparently a previous owner imported a set from Germany. Sadly, I was struck head-on and the car was a write-off. The bits of glass on the ground at the accident scene in no way caused any hazard to anyone unless they did something stupid in the cleanup. But, Our Betters in Washington know what is best for us.
Very first sentence in the article…..as shown by the Market…..guaranteed to bankrupt the Corporation and make it come begging for another Taxpayer handout that will then go to fund Executive bonuses like it did back in 2008.
Now they need to do something similar for worn tires as they are the biggest cause of environmental waste. Tires have many pounds of material but less than one pound (the top 1/4 inch thread layer) is worn. I used rethreads decades ago but nobodty does that anymore.
Yeah my dad bought a lot of retreads, I don’t know if you can retread a radial tire.
In fact, yes you can. Back in my dear dead college days I had a Volvo sedan. The tires got to the point you could almost see through them.
A local tire shop suggested retreaded radials; they in fact had the retreading shop right there. They would be less expensive than even a Brand-X bias ply, so, I was willing to try them out. I asked that the four casings all match as far as brand and model.
He already had them on the shelf in my size, based on Dunlop casings. They worked very well; no separations, no compromise, and the handling of the car increased quite nicely.
I’ve been saying for years that headlights are getting too complicated and expensive. People that can only afford old cars won’t be able to replace them. Same goes for all these led taillights. What do you do when your old car has an integrated LED “burn out” and you no longer have taillights or turnsignals? Can’t buy a bulb off the shelf for 8 bucks. As far as any insurance claim is concerned, a hazy headlight will total your car. Then how many parts go to the junkyard? I’m glad GM is trying, but I guarantee these won’t be the cheap option.
Someone could make fortune converting the LED taillights to use old school bulbs when the LED’s burn out.
I would start eliminating waste at the top of the ren cen and work my way down.
Mary blunder Barra must go.