The Importance of Production Emissions in Vehicle Life Cycle Assessment

Life Cycle Emissions and Regulations

Material Production Emissions

UCSB Automotive Materials GHG Comparison Model v4

? Calculates life cycle GHG emissions and energy consumption associated with vehicle lightweighting by material substitution

? Developed by Dr. Roland Geyer, University of California, Santa

Barbara (UCSB)

? Peer-reviewed by panel of experts, including steel and aluminum representatives

? Free to download from WorldAutoSteel website: www.qlightnano.com

Attributional UCSB Modeling

? Vehicle Types:

? Mid-size sedan

? SUV

? Pick-up Truck

? Hybrid electric vehicle  (HEV)

? Battery electric vehicle (BEV)

? Scenarios:

1. Default baseline vehicles (MY 2007)

2. Updated baseline vehicles (MY 2013)

3. Future pick-up truck (2025)

? Sensitivity Assessments and Monte Carlo Analysis

Updated Baseline Scenarios Results

Future (2025) Pick-up Truck Example

? Light-duty pick-up truck (Crew Cab / Long Box)

? Material quantities based on actual vehicles

? 2025 material production and recycling parameters

? Equivalent fuel economies for contender vehicles set to 2025 CAFE target of 30.6 mpg

Summary

? Automakers are facing increasingly stringent fuel economy targets.

? The use of carbon-intensive lightweighing materials to meet driving phase regulations can result in higher total vehicle life cycle emissions.

? Ensuring improvements in production phase emissions while reducing driving phase emissions avoids unintended consequences.