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.sawchina.cn

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.