A Comparative Assessment of Alternative Powertrains and Body-in-White Materials for Advanced Technology Vehicles

The affordability of today's and future advanced technology vehicles (i.e., diesel, hybrid, and fuel cell) developed for improved fuel economy remains a concern with respect to final consumer acceptance. The automotive system cost model (ASCM) developed for the production cost estimates at a level of five major subsystems and 35+ components, has been used here to address the affordability issue of advanced technology vehicles. Scenarios encompassing five alternative powertrain and three body options for a mid-size vehicle under two different timeframes (i.e., 2002 and 2010) were considered to determine the cost-effectiveness of among the competing technology options within the same timeframe and between the two timeframes. The relative cost-effectiveness of the various options were considered in terms of production cost and fuel economy (derived using the ADVISOR model) and the viability of various options under two timeframes are presented and also compared against the estimates available from the literature today.