Abstract

A great deal of work on lightweight cost-effective strategies has been underway in the last decades to improve the electric vehicle efficiency and driving range. At the time, and according to recent EU project results, up to 30-40% weight reduction was achieved so far in the vehicle structure at prototype level, but further efforts need to be invested to push the technology up to the market. Besides, the adoption of circular economy principles across the entire life-cycle is needed to enable, on one hand, the integration of environmental and cost considerations at the early design stages and, on the other hand, new options for the end-of-life recovery, repair, reuse and recycling. 

ALMA project aims to apply eco-design principles to redefine the vehicle architecture and develop a new 26% lighter multi-material body structure using novel advanced high strength steel grades, high performance composites and advanced steel-hybrid laminates. Specifically, Designing for Assembly and Disassembly (DFA/DFD) and Design for Recycling (DFR) methodologies have been targeted to ensure cost-efficient separation, recycling and recovery at the end-of-life (EoL). The ALMA project has also considered aspects for the selection of the best material and production process for the right application at the design stage. The integration of regulatory considerations from early stages of design, especially forthcoming legislative requirements on emissions and the forthcoming ELV directive was also part of the design process.

As a result, the ALMA project intends to foster the adoption of a circular approach in the automotive sector, reinforced by the use of eco-design methodologies from early stages of the car conception and supported by LCA methodologies, helping the automotive industry to harmonize with circular economy principles: design to reduce the production of waste and pollution and extend life cycle for materials and products.

Abstract

Eco-design in the automotive sector integrates environmental considerations into the product development process to minimize impact throughout the vehicle’s entire life cycle. This approach addresses aspects such as resource efficiency, emission reduction, and end-of-life options (recycling, reuse, etc.). In recent years, eco-design has gained relevance due to increasing regulations and growing user awareness of sustainability. However, its implementation is often based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a complex and demanding method during early design phases, as it requires detailed data to deliver reliable comparative results. This can delay the development time of new components—a critical parameter in the automotive industry. To overcome this limitation, CTAG has developed its own methodology, the Material Matrix Assessment, which enables rapid preliminary analysis of multiple designs without requiring detailed specifications. This qualitative methodology can identify designs with the highest environmental potential using key metrics selected by a multidisciplinary team. Each category is scored and weighted according to its relevance, resulting in an overall score for each design concept. The Material Matrix Assessment was successfully applied in the European SALIENT project, using a front-end structure as a use case. In addition to facilitating the selection of the design with the lowest environmental footprint from the earliest stages of development, the methodology also enabled a system weight reduction of over 40%.