Early System Simulation to Support EcoDesign of Vehicle Concepts

Abstract

Environmental restrictions request new – potentially revolutionary – mobility concepts which simultaneously address both user requirements and efficiency aspects. Early system simulation within the development process is able to support new development projects on the conceptual level. In an overall effort to support ecodesign as early as possible in the development process, this paper introduces a process model for ecodesign-oriented product development which focuses on these specific aspects. Special focus is set on the use of modeling and simulation in the conceptual design phase to evaluate and compare the energy efficiency and lifecycle assessment on the example of vehicle concepts.