Title: Sustainable management of vehicle design

Authors: W-P. Schmidt, A. Taylor

Addresses: Ford-Werke GmbH, Vehicle Recycling, E479/W03, D-50735 Cologne, Germany. ' Ford Motor Company Ltd., Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, 1/445, Eagle Way, Brentwood, CM13 3BW, UK

Abstract: Ford of Europe|s Product Sustainability Index (PSI) is a sustainability management tool directly used by engineers, i.e., not by sustainability or life-cycle experts. PSI is looking at eight indicators reflecting environmental (life-cycle Global Warming Potential (GWP), life-cycle air quality potential, sustainable materials, restricted substances and drive by exterior noise), social (mobility capability and safety) and economic (life-cycle cost of ownership) vehicle attributes. Ford Galaxy and S-MAX are the first vehicles where this tool has been applied from the beginning of their development. The results show significant improvements compared to the predecessor. This has been externally reviewed according to ISO 14040.

Keywords: passenger vehicles; life-cycle assessment; life-cycle costing; ISO 14040; vehicle design; sustainable management; Ford of Europe; Product Sustainability Index; global warming potential; air quality; sustainable materials; restricted substances; exterior noise; mobility capability; vehicle safety; cost of ownership.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2008.017179

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2008 Vol.46 No.2, pp.143 - 155

Published online: 17 Feb 2008 *

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