Project in Focus: TranSensus LCA
The kick-off meeting for the TranSensus project took place on 1 February 2023, in Brussels and was attended by over 60 participants. During the event, Stefan Deix, the Director of EUCAR, delivered a keynote speech in which he emphasized the significance and expectations surrounding the TranSensus project and its contributing experts.
The TranSensus LCA project brings together EUCAR members, suppliers, and research organizations to achieve a common understanding of life-cycle assessments in the automotive industry. The project is particularly relevant for analyzing the environmental impact of zero-emission vehicles, such as battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), and comparing them to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
TranSensus LCA aims to establish a baseline for a harmonized, widely accepted life-cycle assessment approach for zero-emission vehicles. By bringing together key stakeholders from industry and research, the project aims to help industry and mobility providers better understand the environmental impact of products and improve mobility solutions over the life cycle.
The main steps in the TranSensus LCA project include the following:
- Conceptualizing and demonstrating a European-wide real-data LCA approach for zero-emission road transport
- Harmonizing methodologies, tools, and datasets
- Elaborating an ontology and framework for a European-wide life cycle inventory (LCI) database
- Conceptualizing LCI data management and updating throughout the life cycle and supply chain
- Considering upcoming technologies and demands.
The TranSensus LCA consortium consists of 11 industrial partners (BMW, EDF, Northvolt, Renault, Ricardo, Scania, Sphera, ST Microelectronics, Umicore, Valeo, and Volkswagen) and 9 research partners (Fraunhofer, BRGM, CEA, University of Ghent, University of Leiden, RWTH Aachen, IVL, TU Braunschweig, and the University of Bordeaux). The consortium is further supported by 24 associated partners, ensuring comprehensive representation of the road transport sector and coverage of relevant value chains and life cycle stages.
The European Union funds the project under Grant Agreement No 101056715.
You can find Fraunhofer’s press release on their website: https://www.lbf.fraunhofer.de/en/press-releases/eu-projekt-transensus-lca-kicked-off-in-brussels.html