Life cycle assessment of a combustion engine - mapping the environmental impacts and exploring circular economy

Abstract

The need for sustainable transportation has rapidly increased the interest for sus- tainability in the automotive industry. It is an industry that is moving towards electrification as the primary solution to reduce the environmental impact. Previous LCA-studies have often solely looked at CO2-emissions making BEVs an attractive solution, often without considering other environmental impacts. This master thesis study aims to broaden the spectrum of environmental impacts in the automotive industry by conducting an LCA from cradle to grave including multiple impact categories. The product studied is a state of the art internal com- bustion engine (ICE) produced by Aurobay, Powertrain Engineering AB. This LCA helps both understanding the environmental impact over the life cycle of an ICE as well as exposing potential improvements in the life cycle to increase its sustainability. The study results show how dominant the user phase emissions are for climate impact emphasising the need for alternatives to the traditional fuels. It also shows the significance that the production of parts have with aluminium and steels having a large role. Furthermore the inclusion of multiple impact categories highlights the impact from lithium ion batteries and copper, impacts that are overlooked when CO2 is the only measure of the environmental impact. The results from sensitivity analysis showed the significance of the location of ma- terial sourcing on the environmental impacts and how beneficial and influential the use of recycled materials in the engine is with respect to the environmental impact. More research is needed but the study mapped the environmental impacts for a broader spectra of impact categories than usually studied in the automotive indus- try. Further studies could help exposing the biggest environmental burdens that actually lies in order to move towards a sustainable transportation.