RESOURCE IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVE AUTOMOBILE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES

Automobile production and operations consume energy, materials, capital, and labor resources. Alternative automobile design concepts are examined in terms of their aggregate resource impacts. A computer-based model was developed for generating the resource requirements of alternative automobile technologies. The model goes beyond previous tools in its scope, level of impact disaggregation, and flexibility. It projects the annual energy, materials, capital, and labor requirements of passenger automobile fleet through the year 2000. The methodology integrates a family-tree technique with an input-output approach that generates the capital and labor information. It tracks 24 major materials, with supply disaggregated among primary and recycled materials, imports, and domestic sources. Net energy consumption is derived, along with capital and labor impacts disaggregated by 90 industries. The model was used to examine a broad range of scenarios, encompassing various automobile design technologies and constraints imposed by safety and emissions regulations. All the scenarios show fleet fuel consumption declining through 1985, as the gains in fleet fuel efficiency outweigh the growth in distances traveled. With a few exceptions, the weight-conscious designs and innovative structures result in a significant reduction in consumption of the major materials used in automobile production. Finally, increased capital expenditure in the automobile industry are offset by capital savings in other sectors of the economy. /Author/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1978/672/672-006.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=RESOURCE+IMPACTS+OF+ALTERNATIVE+AUTOMOBILE+DESIGN+TECHNOLOGIES&author=B.+Rubinger&publication_year=1978
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appeared in TRB Record No. 672, Accident Analysis, Ride Quality, Driver Education, and Behavior Research. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Traffic Records. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Rubinger, Bruce
• Publication Date: 1978

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 31-35
• Monograph Title: Accident analysis, ride quality, driver education, and behaviour research
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 672
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Automobiles; Costs; Economic impacts; Fuel consumption; Labor costs; Manufacturing; Natural resources; Simulation; Vehicle design
• Old TRIS Terms: Capitalized costs
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Energy; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00194272
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 13 1979 12:00AM