Life Cycle Assessment (Lca - Mercedes-Benz E-Class Manual

2. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

The environmental compatibility of a vehicle is determined
by the environmental burden caused by emissions and the
consumption of resources throughout the vehicle's lifecycle
(cf. Figure 2-1). The standardised tool for evaluating a vehicle's
environmental compatibility is the LCA. It comprises the
total environmental impact of a vehicle from the cradle to the
grave, in other words from raw material extraction through
production and use up to recycling.
Life Cycle Assessments are used by the Mercedes-Benz
passenger car development division for the evaluation and
comparison of different vehicles, components, and technol-
ogies. The DIN EN ISO 14040 and DIN EN ISO 14044 stan-
dards prescribe the procedure and the required elements.
The elements of a Life Cycle Assessment are:
1. Goal and scope definition: define the objective and
scope of an LCA.
2. Inventory analysis: encompasses the material and
energy flows throughout all stages of a vehicle's life:
how many kilograms of raw material are used, how
much energy is consumed, what wastes and emissions
are produced etc.
Figure 2-1: Overview of the Life Cycle Assessment
erial resources
Production
Material
Inpu t
production
3. Impact assessment: gauges the potential effects
of the product on the environment, such as global
warming potential, summer smog potential, acidifi-
cation potential, and eutrophication potential.
4. Interpretation: draws conclusions and makes recom-
mendations.
The LCA results of the new E-Class are shown in the following
chapters. The main parameters of the LCA are documented
in the glossary. The operation phase is calculated on the basis
of a mileage of 250,000 kilometres.
Us e
Recycling
o air,
Output water, soil
Waste
Lifecycle Overall 9