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impacts along the whole value chain is considered. The goal is to create products
that have better environmental properties over their entire lifecycle in comparison to
their predecessors. The tool chosen by Volkswagen to implement this approach is
life cycle assessment (LCA) in line with ISO standards 14040 and 14044 (ISO
14040: 2006, ISO 14044: 2006).
1.2 Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool to Implement
Life Cycle Management at Volkswagen
The LCA is one of the LCM tools used by organization to understand the consequences of their business operations. The LCA methodology was first developed 30
years ago, and since then the technique has been practiced in many different product
fields. Early on, Volkswagen was engaged in this process and performed LCAs
aimed at optimizing products and processes ever since the early 1990s. As early as
1996, the company was the first carmaker to prepare and publish a life cycle inventory (LCI) for the Golf III (Schweimer and Schuckert 1996). In the following years,
LCIs were published for various vehicles of the Volkswagen Group (e.g., Schweimer
and Levin 2000).
Conducting LCAs at Volkswagen means to collect all the important facts over the
entire life cycle of a vehicle, component, or technology and back them up with relevant figures, e.g., the volume of raw materials, energy for production processes.
The data collection process is based on vehicle parts lists, material and weight information stored in the company’s own Material Information System (MISS), technical datasheets and drawings. For modeling the use phase, fuel consumption and the
resultant emissions are worked out based on the legally prescribed New European
Driving Cycle (NEDC). In addition, the amount of energy consumed during the
dismantling and/or recycling of the vehicle parts is calculated.
Since 2007 the Volkswagen brand consequently publishes Environmental
Commendations which inform customers and the general public about the ecological progress at life cycle level made by new models in comparison to their predecessor. These comparisons are based on detailed LCA studies which are certified by
independent auditors in accordance to 14040 (ISO 2006a) and 14044 (ISO 2006b).
By the end of 2013, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial
Vehicles had published a total of 18 Environmental Commendations.
2 From Life Cycle Assessment to Life Cycle Engineering
Volkswagen uses the LCA methodology as an effective LCM tool to analyze the environmental profiles of products and processes and to identify ecological hotspots therein.
Based on this knowledge it is determined which improvements will have the greatest
effect and thus can develop targeted innovations. This is what is called life cycle
23 Implementing Life Cycle Engineering in Automotive Development as a Helpful…
impacts along the whole value chain is considered. The goal is to create products
that have better environmental properties over their entire lifecycle in comparison to
their predecessors. The tool chosen by Volkswagen to implement this approach is
life cycle assessment (LCA) in line with ISO standards 14040 and 14044 (ISO
14040: 2006, ISO 14044: 2006).
1.2 Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool to Implement
Life Cycle Management at Volkswagen
The LCA is one of the LCM tools used by organization to understand the consequences of their business operations. The LCA methodology was first developed 30
years ago, and since then the technique has been practiced in many different product
fields. Early on, Volkswagen was engaged in this process and performed LCAs
aimed at optimizing products and processes ever since the early 1990s. As early as
1996, the company was the first carmaker to prepare and publish a life cycle inventory (LCI) for the Golf III (Schweimer and Schuckert 1996). In the following years,
LCIs were published for various vehicles of the Volkswagen Group (e.g., Schweimer
and Levin 2000).
Conducting LCAs at Volkswagen means to collect all the important facts over the
entire life cycle of a vehicle, component, or technology and back them up with relevant figures, e.g., the volume of raw materials, energy for production processes.
The data collection process is based on vehicle parts lists, material and weight information stored in the company’s own Material Information System (MISS), technical datasheets and drawings. For modeling the use phase, fuel consumption and the
resultant emissions are worked out based on the legally prescribed New European
Driving Cycle (NEDC). In addition, the amount of energy consumed during the
dismantling and/or recycling of the vehicle parts is calculated.
Since 2007 the Volkswagen brand consequently publishes Environmental
Commendations which inform customers and the general public about the ecological progress at life cycle level made by new models in comparison to their predecessor. These comparisons are based on detailed LCA studies which are certified by
independent auditors in accordance to 14040 (ISO 2006a) and 14044 (ISO 2006b).
By the end of 2013, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial
Vehicles had published a total of 18 Environmental Commendations.
2 From Life Cycle Assessment to Life Cycle Engineering
Volkswagen uses the LCA methodology as an effective LCM tool to analyze the environmental profiles of products and processes and to identify ecological hotspots therein.
Based on this knowledge it is determined which improvements will have the greatest
effect and thus can develop targeted innovations. This is what is called life cycle
23 Implementing Life Cycle Engineering in Automotive Development as a Helpful…