A Dynamical Life Cycle Inventory of Steel, Aluminium, and Composite Car Bodies-in-White

Abstract

This paper presents a dynamical life cycle inventory study of the Australian car-fleet energy consumption when the steel in car bodies-in-white is replaced with aluminium or a composite material. The results show that both lightweight BIWs have net energy benefits over steel BIWs. The energy benefits of composite BIWs are greater than for aluminium BIWs because energy consumption during the production and use stages is lower for composite BIWs. The results also suggest that the energy benefits to the fleet might be limited by competition from steel BIWs, which, together with the growth in the car fleet, prevents the car-fleet energy consumption from declining.