Objective System Level Sustainability Evaluation of Competing Materials for Demanding Automotive Applications

In response to a mix of drivers, including new and emerging global regulatory requirements, consumer sentiment and scarcity of resources, Global Automotive OEMs are setting new sustainability targets for their organizations. Engineers are faced with these new sustainability goals and must develop effective strategies to meet them while concurrently maintaining safety, cost, performance and customer satisfaction. Global Warming Potential (GWP100) as measured in CO2e through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the leading metric for evaluating the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle. From Raw Material Sourcing (Cradle), Manufacturing and Assembly, and Customer Use all the way through to End of Life and Resource Recovery (Cradle) represents a Cradle-to-Cradle analysis. LCA’s can be conducted for various portions of a product’s life, however, when selecting materials for a given application, comparing GWP100 values at only the material level can be misleading. A lack of information and comprehensive analysis has led to misconceptions about the relative environmental sustainability of different materials for automotive applications. The authors will present findings from their technical paper which captures an objective and comprehensive system level evaluation of the GHG footprint of four different material types used in the same automotive application. This study includes the simulation driven design of four light duty pickup boxes which were tailored to the unique and relevant design guidelines for each material. OEM experts were consulted to validate the relevant requirements and boundary conditions. The technical paper includes details on the design, simulation, production processes and life cycle and environmental impact assessment all in compliance with ISO standards (14040/14044) for the Cradle-to-Cradle LCA. This paper and presentation will provide guidance and insights to help engineers develop effective strategies for material selection and sustainable product design.