Design for Environmental Compatibility of Automobiles - New Life-Cycle Management Tools in the BMW Product Development Process -

The environmental impact of automobiles and components is of growing importance both in the public discussion and in the complex decision finding process for future car concepts. Especially more and more conflicts of objectives occur between technical, economical, ecological and political requirements.

For a lasting improvement of environmental compatibility and recyclability as an element of the so-called „sustainable development” of automobiles and components, BMW is the first carmaker which has developed quantitative management tools /1, 2/. These component related instruments enable designers in the product development phase to evaluate different component variations practice-oriented and with an ecological perspective in mind. In this endeavor, BMW is placing its bets on „intelligent lightweight construction”, i. e., the ecologically-economically best component solution.