Prospective Life Cycle Assessment of a Structural Battery

Mats Zackrisson, Christina Jönsson, Wilhelm Johannisson, Kristin Fransson, Stefan Posner, Dan Zenkert and Göran Lindbergh
Additional contact information
Mats Zackrisson: RISE IVF AB, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Christina Jönsson: RISE IVF AB, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Wilhelm Johannisson: Department of Aeronautical and Vehicle Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Kristin Fransson: Engelsons Postorder AB, SE-311 39 Falkenberg, Sweden
Stefan Posner: Stefan Posner AB, SE-439 55 Åsa, Sweden
Dan Zenkert: Department of Aeronautical and Vehicle Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Göran Lindbergh: Department of Chemical Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 20, 1-14

Abstract: With increasing interest in reducing fossil fuel emissions, more and more development is focused on electric mobility. For electric vehicles, the main challenge is the mass of the batteries, which significantly increase the mass of the vehicles and limits their range. One possible concept to solve this is incorporating structural batteries; a structural material that both stores electrical energy and carries mechanical load. The concept envisions constructing the body of an electric vehicle with this material and thus reducing the need for further energy storage. This research is investigating a future structural battery that is incorporated in the roof of an electric vehicle. The structural battery is replacing the original steel roof of the vehicle, and part of the original traction battery. The environmental implications of this structural battery roof are investigated with a life cycle assessment, which shows that a structural battery roof can avoid climate impacts in substantive quantities. The main emissions for the structural battery stem from its production and efforts should be focused there to further improve the environmental benefits of the structural battery. Toxicity is investigated with a novel chemical risk assessment from a life cycle perspective, which shows that two chemicals should be targeted for substitution.

Keywords: LCA; chemical risk assessment; multifunctional material; environmental engineering; lightweight; prospective (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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