Light-Duty Vehicle Technology Cost Analysis: European Vehicle Market

The ICCT contracted with FEV (Aachen, Germany / Auburn Hills, USA) to define the net incremental costs for a set of advanced light-duty vehicle technologies for the European vehicle market. Since the costing methodology evaluates competing technologies (i.e., new technology configuration compared to a baseline technology configuration) under the same set of boundary conditions (e.g., high production volumes, equivalent market maturity, same manufacturing cost structure), an improved assessment of technology costs can be made. The processes and tools used are similar to those used by manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive industry.

The work was carried out in two phases. The phase 1 report focused on the transfer and conversion into the European market of information and results from existing advanced vehicle powertrain cost analysis studies on U.S. vehicles and manufacturing cost structure, performed by FEV for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Advance powertrain technologies studied in the phase 1 analysis work included downsized, turbocharged, gasoline direct injection engine, 6-speed versus 8-Speed automatic and dual clutch transmission, and power-split and P2 hybrid electric vehicles.

Further analyses were then carried out on the net incremental costs of additional advanced light-duty vehicle technologies for the European vehicle market. This phase 2 work is a continuation of the work initiated in phase 1 of the project. Since the technologies were not previously studied as part of either ICCT or EPA work assignments, new component teardowns, hardware assessments, and cost modeling were required. Advanced powertrain technologies studied in the phase 2 work included diesel high pressure injection, diesel variable valve timing and lift systems, diesel high and low pressure cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), gasoline low pressure cooled EGR, comparison of 6-speed dry dual clutch transmission to 6-speed manual transmission, and belt-driven starter-generator (BSG) stop-start system. The phase 2 work also encompasses an overview of in-market applications of start-stop systems for automobiles in Europe.

Update January 2014. Two documents were added to this series in late 2013: a results summary and labor rate sensitivity study covering phases 1 and 2, and a summary of the indirect cost multiplier (ICM) methodology. Also, an updated version of the phase 1 report was issued in August 2013.

Contact: Peter Mock