 Volvo’s ReCharge hybrid car has an electric motor in each of its wheels, helping to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide created when being driven. But a car’s performance on the road is only one part of its overall green rating. With the ReCharge serving as an example, this program shows how life-cycle assessment, or LCA, is employed to evaluate the environmental impact of manufactured goods—from their raw materials, to production, usage, and disposal. Designers used recycled materials for much of the ReCharge, but it lost the “new car smell” after toxic components were eliminated. The video takes a close look at the production phase of LCA with a tour of Volvo’s energy-efficient assembly plant; and at end-of-life recovery at a dismantling facility. Part of the series So You Want to Be a Designer? (25 minutes)
|