Version 5.1 of the WorldAutoSteel/UCSB Automotive Energy & GHG Model (“UCSB Model”) is now available for download. It is a data update, retaining the methodology and structure of version 5.0, released in 2018. A description of the Version 5.1 data update can be found here.
The model helps users to analyze the environmental impact of new vehicle design using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This helps automakers evaluate emission savings over the full life cycle of a vehicle and is part of the steel sector’s contribution to a sustainable and competitive automotive industry.
“An LCA assists automakers in evaluating and reducing the total energy consumed and the lifetime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of their products,” said Russ Balzer, Technical Director, WorldAutoSteel. “The UCSB Model looks specifically at material substitution, but its data and parameters capture around 99 percent of the energy and GHG impacts of the studied automotive material substitutions.”
The model enables evaluation of the differences in impact between alternative material vehicles of equivalent size, utility, equipment, and powertrain configuration. It reports Global Warming Potential (GWP) and total and fossil energy requirements per vehicle grouped by three life cycle phases: Production, Use, and End-of-Life.
The model was developed under the leadership of Dr. Roland Geyer of the University of California’s Bren School for Environmental Science and Management. The methodology has been peer reviewed and the model is fully parameterized.
It is available as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to assist in conducting evaluations. Download the free model and user guide at the links below: