Sustainability Assessment of Lightweight Design in the Automotive Field: Real-Life Case Studies and Development of Eco-Design Tools

Dear Colleagues,

To date, exhaust air emissions in the road transportation sector account for a relevant proportion of total anthropogenic CO₂ emissions on a global scale. Considering that light-duty vehicle ownership is continuously growing, a dramatic increase in the demand of fossil fuels is expected in the next decades with implications for energy security, climate change, and urban air quality. As a consequence, sustainability has become a critical issue for the automotive industry, motivating more significant reductions to its overall environmental impact. In response to the ever-growing demand for eco-friendly cars, research and industry are currently focusing on the development of eco-design strategies which allow the inclusion of sustainability aspects within the early design stage, along with more traditional issues such as performance, functionality, safety, and structural integrity. In this context, lightweighting is unanimously recognized as one of the key design strategies for achieving a wide range of technical, economic, and environmental benefits:

• Improvement of performance, driving behavior, and comfort levels;
• Reduction of both environmental impact and cost associated with the operation stage;
• Easier and faster maintenance and repair activities.

The most common approach to lightweighting is based on the use of innovative materials (e.g., high-strength steel and aluminum alloys, magnesium, or composites) which provide relevant savings in the use phase impact thanks to the reduction of car energy consumption. Lower consumption means reduced environmental burdens and costs associated with the fuel supply chain as well as lower exhaust air emissions. On the other hand, lightweight design usually involves negative effects on production and end-of-life stages. Indeed, novel materials are very energy intensive to produce and involve higher emissions prior to the operation stage, thus preventing (or at least limiting) the expected benefit from a life-cycle perspective. At the same time, manufacturing processes are characterized by high costs and technological complexity, which represent further substantial issues that need to be addressed when adopting innovative solutions. All of the above considerations regarding sustainability advantages available from lightweighting apply equally to both conventional and electric cars. The difference lies in the fact that for electric vehicles (EVs) the benefits from mass decrease are located only in the energy production phase. However, the need for weight reduction is even more crucial for EVs than conventional cars, as it allows improvements in the driving range as well as lighter and less-expensive battery/powertrain systems. In the light of this background, an in-depth understanding of the implications of lightweight design in the automotive field is strongly desirable. Further research, development, and innovation activities are needed in order to assess and explore the actual potential of novel solutions from a comprehensive point of view which integrates design, environment, and cost aspects.

Sustainability will release a Special Issue dedicated to the design and sustainability assessment of novel lightweight solutions from a life-cycle perspective. As Guest Editor, I am pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue. Both conceptual and real-life case study papers are welcome. Examples of contents include but are not limited to:

• Knowledge improvement of eco-profile for innovative lightweight materials (i.e., composites, hybrid, recycled, and bio-based materials);
• Life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) of real-life lightweight case studies: novel design solutions, materials, and manufacturing technologies (ICEVs, EVs, and HEVs);
• Sustainability assessment of real-life lightweight case studies based on tailored single score indicators that include the three dimensions of sustainable development: environmental protection, economic viability, and social equity (ICEVs, EVs, and HEVs);
• Development of eco-design strategies and tools which integrate sustainability principles and traditional design issues within the early design stage;
• Development of new guidelines and indicators to comprehensively assess the potential of lightweighting in terms of benefits related to the whole life cycle of components.

Dr. Francesco Del Pero
Guest Editor

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