REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN THE ELECTRIC POWER TRAIN MOUNTS DESIGN PROCESS

Achieving a sustainable automotive industry requires a systemic view that implies addressing the circularity, reduction, and decarbonization of materials apart from the electrification efforts being implemented by the industry. The main focus of this work is the calculation of the environmental impact of the current design of the power train mounts of the XC40 electric vehicle in Volvo Cars Europe. The main objective is to evaluate the most impactful stages of the process and propose different scenarios under which the carbon footprint and other relevant effects can be reduced. The thesis is developed applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, under a cradle-to-gate approach, which encompasses from the material extraction to the assembly of the parts in Volvo¿s facility in Ghent. Accordingly, the value chain is broken down into four different phases which include raw material extraction, manufacturing of the pieces, logistics (packaging and transportation), and assembly of the power train. The work demonstrates the importance of approaching circularity and sustainability from an early stage in design process, as the most effective method to reduce the environmental footprint. This method is referred to as the impact based design. Additionally, it provides a regulatory background that justifies the relevance of the study. The data collection methodology consisted in gathering information on the elementary flows that are present in each of the four different phases. For this purpose, an extensive literature review was carried along with interviews to Volvo Cars suppliers. The Ecoinvent 3.7 database was used as the main source of information to obtain data on transportation and raw material extraction regards. The calculations were performed using the free access OpenLCA software and the ReCiPe midpoint (H)V1.13 impact assessment method. The results obtained show the relevance of raw materials in the environmental impact of the value chain. Specifically aluminum, since it corresponds to 93% of the total power train weight. Aluminum accounts for 69% of the total carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to 291.83 kg of CO2e. Besides, it demonstrates that the electricity generation source plays a significant role in the climate impact potential due to the fact that most of the parts are produced in China. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is implemented to calculate the effect of different parameters in the impact categories being evaluated. Finally, the study presents a techno-economic analysis that reflects on the economic implications of adopting more sustainable alternatives. Moreover, it provides a preliminary discussion of the expansion of the European emissions trading system to the maritime sector and the introduction of the carbon border tax on imported goods.