Life cycle resource consumption of automotive power seats

In this paper, a full life cycle resource consumption model for automotive seats has been proposed based on the vehicle material-energy-pollution assessment model, and an assessment on energy consumption and abiotic depletion potential (ADP) impact is conducted to evaluate the power seat environmental performances of a representative passenger car from the standpoint of life cycle. The results show that the energy consumption of the selected automotive seats mainly occurs in the use phase. Among all types of energy consumption, the non-renewable energy consumption is much larger than the renewable energy consumption. According to the ADP impact assessment, the consumption of copper and crude oil makes the largest contribution to resource depletion, and the ADP index may increase significantly due to the additional electrical part of car seats. Therefore, the enhancement of environmental performances of car seats can be achieved through measures including design with lightweight metal, fuel-electric conversion efficiency improvement, reduction in energy consumption caused by seat motor running and a more sustainable material with low ADP coefficient.