Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ALLIANCE (AffordabLe LIghtweight Automobiles AlliaNCE)
Berichtszeitraum: 2018-04-01 bis 2019-09-30
Overall, ALLIANCE aims to develop affordable lightweight strategies which have a high potential for being implemented into mass production and thus contributing to the decarbonisation of the road transport. The project will prototype and validate the innovations at module level and transfer the results to a full vehicle virtual model demonstrating the compounded impact at the vehicle level (see Figure a). The ALLIANCE objectives in detail were as follows:
• 21-33% weight reduction on 8 demonstrator modules to reach a 10% or 1,4 kWh energy consumption reduction at vehicle level.
• 3 €/kg-saved in average in the Body, Doors & closures and chassis parts, which corresponds to the ICE version of the vehicle.
• 6% improvement in GWP compared to the reference vehicle model in the Body, Doors & closures and chassis parts.
• Development and validation of novel, affordable materials for lightweighting (steel, aluminium and new hybrid materials).
• Development and validation of more energy efficient, cost efficient, high-volume manufacturing technologies for metal forming, high volume composite and hybrid materials as well as joining technologies.
• Development of multi-parameter optimisation methodologies and tools that can be used in the early conceptual design phase as well as in the detailed design of automotive parts and systems, taking into account weight, cost, environmental impact and manufacturability factors.
• Developing 8 lightweight and affordable demonstrator module concepts which come as close as possible to series car modules of the OEMs and complying with the decision criteria that internal design, pre-development and development departments of the OEMs use.
• 21-33% weight reduction on 8 demonstrator modules to reach a 10% or 1,4 kWh energy consumption reduction at vehicle level.
• 3 €/kg-saved in average in the Body, Doors & closures and chassis parts, which corresponds to the ICE version of the vehicle.
• 6% improvement in GWP compared to the reference vehicle model in the Body, Doors & closures and chassis parts.
• Development and validation of novel, affordable materials for lightweighting (steel, aluminium and new hybrid materials).
• Development and validation of more energy efficient, cost efficient, high-volume manufacturing technologies for metal forming, high volume composite and hybrid materials as well as joining technologies.
• Development of multi-parameter optimisation methodologies and tools that can be used in the early conceptual design phase as well as in the detailed design of automotive parts and systems, taking into account weight, cost, environmental impact and manufacturability factors.
• Developing 8 lightweight and affordable demonstrator module concepts which come as close as possible to series car modules of the OEMs and complying with the decision criteria that internal design, pre-development and development departments of the OEMs use.
Seven physical and one virtual demonstrator(s) were designed mostly in steel and aluminium intensive multi-material approaches as shown in Figure b) applying the technologies developed. In order to validate the design, defined but limited testing on fatigue, NVH and crash on module level was performed. Although not all attributes could be tested within ALLIANCE, the performed testing clearly demonstrated the validity of the new designs meeting all requirements considered important by the OEMs. The input data were provided and discussed with the respective industrial partner to ensure reliable input data as much as possible. The assumptions made and range of input data provided were applied to both, the reference part and the advanced lightweight Version so that the impact assessment is accurate in relation to each other. The final results of the impact assessment for each demonstrator module are shown in Table a. Over all considered modules a weight reduction of 32%, a reduction of 25% in kg CO2 eq. at 2.7 € additional costs for each kg saved have been achieved in total. However, the targets regarding relative weight savings and costs per kg-saved have not been met for all components but were compensated by components where the targets have been exceeded by far. However, the additional costs are still below 5 €/kg-saved, lower than the achievements in previous research projects and within the range accepted by the OEMs for C-D segments (VDI, 2014). Remarkable is that with a consequent design approach the overall production costs can be lowered for some components.
Table a: Summary of achievements on component level
Weight [%] GWP kg CO2 eq. [%] Costs [€/kg saved]
Door concept 1 -29,4 -18,3 +4,37
Door concept 2 -44,1 -43,6 +4,45
Rear floor panel -26,0 -20,1 -4,42
Hood -52,6 -55,9 +1,96
Front CMS -28,7 -22,7 -1,22
Front bumper beam -12,3 -9,9 +3,18
Rear bumper (EU version) -39,3 -23,3 -1,55
Rear bumper (US Version) -45,2 -39,2 -0,58
Strut tower w. integrated rail -35,0 -28,0 +1,53
Total -32,1 -25,1 +2,67
In order to assess the ALLIANCE technologies and solution on full vehicle level (see Fig. a), a virtual full vehicle model has been derived for an ICE and full battery electric vehicle (see above). All technologies were scaled and transferred into this virtual ALLIANCE full vehicle model demonstrating that affordable and sustainable weight reduction can also be achieved at full vehicle level. The virtual vehicle was first broken down into different modules (Fig. c) followed and the ALLIANCE Technologies integrated into the overall structural Concept. In doing so, lightweight design principles like one piece solutions or “right materials at right places” were applied consequently. The transfer and up-scaling of ALLIANCE technologies developed on component level resulted in a weight reduction of about 9.4 % on full vehicle level (ICE version). When exploiting also secondary effects additional 6.2 % weight savings can be gained resulting in a total saving of 15.6 %. This directly results in 10 % less energy consumption.
Table a: Summary of achievements on component level
Weight [%] GWP kg CO2 eq. [%] Costs [€/kg saved]
Door concept 1 -29,4 -18,3 +4,37
Door concept 2 -44,1 -43,6 +4,45
Rear floor panel -26,0 -20,1 -4,42
Hood -52,6 -55,9 +1,96
Front CMS -28,7 -22,7 -1,22
Front bumper beam -12,3 -9,9 +3,18
Rear bumper (EU version) -39,3 -23,3 -1,55
Rear bumper (US Version) -45,2 -39,2 -0,58
Strut tower w. integrated rail -35,0 -28,0 +1,53
Total -32,1 -25,1 +2,67
In order to assess the ALLIANCE technologies and solution on full vehicle level (see Fig. a), a virtual full vehicle model has been derived for an ICE and full battery electric vehicle (see above). All technologies were scaled and transferred into this virtual ALLIANCE full vehicle model demonstrating that affordable and sustainable weight reduction can also be achieved at full vehicle level. The virtual vehicle was first broken down into different modules (Fig. c) followed and the ALLIANCE Technologies integrated into the overall structural Concept. In doing so, lightweight design principles like one piece solutions or “right materials at right places” were applied consequently. The transfer and up-scaling of ALLIANCE technologies developed on component level resulted in a weight reduction of about 9.4 % on full vehicle level (ICE version). When exploiting also secondary effects additional 6.2 % weight savings can be gained resulting in a total saving of 15.6 %. This directly results in 10 % less energy consumption.
ALLIANCE reached an energy consumption reduction of 10% at vehicle level. This reduction in energy consumption resulted from a weight reduction for the body, doors & closures and chassis in the range of 170 kg (-13%) for an ICE vehicle and 275 kg for an EV (-18%) based on the reference vehicle and NEDC cycle. Assuming that every 100 kg of vehicle weight reduction entail a benefit in average of 3-4 g less of CO2 per km run, the ALLIANCE weight savings results in 1.100 kg CO2 reduction over a vehicle life time (200.000 km for an ICE). The ALLIANCE partners expect that the derived solutions will be applied at least in one new series car model within a timeframe of 5-6 years from project completion being produced at high volumes.
Furthermore, lightweight design and optimization of the overall vehicle architecture and concept, based on advanced materials and production technologies, is definitely one of the most important skills and capabilities upon which carmakers will have to base their competitive advantage on. As such, ALLIANCE directly strengthens the capabilities of its partners in this key area. Based on the above advantages, ALLIANCE will enable the European automotive industry to lower the weight of the vehicles, lower CO2 emissions and fuel/energy consumption, which it likely to create more attractive vehicles for the customers without (large) additional added cost. The increased attractiveness of the vehicles marketed (primarily) by the 6 OEMs participating in the project can be expected to provide a competitive edge that increase their market share globally by estimated 5% or 200.000 vehicles per year sold additionally. Thus, there is a significant impact in the growth potential of the suppliers, large companies and SMEs directly translating in maintaining or creating about 10.000 highly skilled jobs in Europe related to lightweight automotive manufacturing.
Furthermore, lightweight design and optimization of the overall vehicle architecture and concept, based on advanced materials and production technologies, is definitely one of the most important skills and capabilities upon which carmakers will have to base their competitive advantage on. As such, ALLIANCE directly strengthens the capabilities of its partners in this key area. Based on the above advantages, ALLIANCE will enable the European automotive industry to lower the weight of the vehicles, lower CO2 emissions and fuel/energy consumption, which it likely to create more attractive vehicles for the customers without (large) additional added cost. The increased attractiveness of the vehicles marketed (primarily) by the 6 OEMs participating in the project can be expected to provide a competitive edge that increase their market share globally by estimated 5% or 200.000 vehicles per year sold additionally. Thus, there is a significant impact in the growth potential of the suppliers, large companies and SMEs directly translating in maintaining or creating about 10.000 highly skilled jobs in Europe related to lightweight automotive manufacturing.