Life Cycle Assessment: A Tool for Design for Environment

In the coming years, higher reductions in the environmental burdens of the car will be achieved through a better design of the automobile. A controversial debate continues to surround the issue of building this environmentally friendly vehicle. Car designers alike anticipate new design guidelines and evaluation tools capable of reaching these environmental goals. Life Cycle Assessment is one of the tools available today with an application to assist the automobile industry with these new design goals. The paper will demonstrate the potential benefits of LCA for the new design guidelines within the automobile industry.