Strategic Decision-Support Framework for Design Optimization applied to Electric Vehicle Production

As the environmental impact of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles becomes increasingly unsustainable, the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) represents an urgent step to be taken in our fight against climate change. This shift aligns with global efforts to promote sustainable development and energy efficiency. Governments and car manufacturers are spending many resources with the aim to reach a total transition to EVs. As global demand for sustainable transportation solutions grows, optimizing the design and manufacturability of EVs becomes increasingly important to enhance competitiveness. A comprehensive framework that combines design optimization and manufacturability analysis has been developed to guide strategic design and enhance overall production outcomes. This thesis focuses on the manufacturability related part of the framework; more precisely, on the optimization tool which identifies critical design parameters and predicts feasible adjustments within the constraints set by manufacturability. The framework is validated through a case study, where results obtained from the design optimization framework will be utilized on the physical optimization framework.