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Life Cycle Assessment of a Composite Prototype Battery Enclosure for Electric Vehicles

Author

Listed:
  • Paolo De Sio

    (Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, NA, Italy)

  • Marica Gaito

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy)

  • Vitantonio Esperto

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy)

  • Ersilia Cozzolino

    (Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, NA, Italy)

  • Antonello Astarita

    (Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, NA, Italy)

  • Fausto Tucci

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy)

Abstract

The use of lightweight components in automobiles started a new chapter in the automotive sector due to the renewable energy and sustainability increasing the overall efficiency of vehicles. As vehicle weight is directly linked to energy consumption, reducing mass through advanced materials can significantly decrease energy usage and emissions over the vehicle’s lifetime. This present study aims to conduct a preliminary life cycle assessment (LCA) of a prototype battery pack manufactured using pultruded composite materials with a volume fraction of 50% glass fibers and a volume fraction of 50% nylon 6 (PA6) matrix by quantifying the CO 2 emissions and cumulative energy demand (CED) associated with each stage of the battery pack’s life cycle, encompassing production, usage, and end-of-life recycling. The results of the EuCia Eco Impact Calculator and from the literature reveal that the raw materials extraction and use phases are the most energy-intensive and contribute mainly to the environmental footprint of the battery pack. For a single battery pack for EV, the CED is 13,629.9 MJ, and the CO 2 eq emissions during production are 1323.9 kg. These results highlight the need for innovations in material sourcing and design strategies to mitigate these impacts. Moreover, the variations in recycling methods were assessed using a sensitivity analysis to understand how they affect the overall environmental impact of the system. Specifically, shifting from mechanical recycling to pyrolysis results in an increase of 4% to 19% of the total CO 2 emissions (kg CO 2 ). Future goals include building a laboratory-scale model based on the prototype described in this paper to compare the environmental impacts considering equal mechanical properties with alternatives currently used in the automotive industry, such as aluminum and steel alloys.

Suggested Citation

  • Paolo De Sio & Marica Gaito & Vitantonio Esperto & Ersilia Cozzolino & Antonello Astarita & Fausto Tucci, 2025. "Life Cycle Assessment of a Composite Prototype Battery Enclosure for Electric Vehicles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1579-:d:1591245
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brian Azzopardi & Abdul Hapid & Sunarto Kaleg & Sudirja & Djulia Onggo & Alexander C. Budiman, 2023. "Recent Advances in Battery Pack Polymer Composites," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-23, August.
    2. Ma, Hongrui & Balthasar, Felix & Tait, Nigel & Riera-Palou, Xavier & Harrison, Andrew, 2012. "A new comparison between the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of battery electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 160-173.
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