FKFS Events

2025 Stuttgart International Symposium
on Automotive and Engine Technology

2 - 3 July 2025

Session: Circularity & LCA | | 15:00 - 15:30

Managing the Complexity of Circularity in Automotive Design

Antonino Ardilio, Fraunhofer IAO

Circular economy is one of the biggest challenges for the automotive industry. It promotes resource efficiency, reduces waste, and encourages the reuse and recycling of materials, leading to a more sustainable approach of mobility. However, designing an automotive system that incorporates circular economy aspects is a highly intricate task. Its complexity stems from various aspects, such as the interdependent solution space, different possibilities how material cycles can be closed and the challenge to evaluate the impact of a circular design on a multi-faceted automotive system. Within this paper, we present a new development methodology and a software system that help to manage circular-related complexity. A modelling approach for automotive systems is shown, that facilitates informed decision-making by means of so-called circular measures. In addition, a modelling language and software architecture for circular economy is developed which supplements current PLM systems in the automotive domain. The resulting model-based systems engineering software then enables the automotive engineer to perform life cycle assessments in early stages of development, evaluate circular-related measurements and trace sustainability throughout the vehicle’s life cycle, even if the automotive system is not yet fully defined. We present the approach and the software system, including its evaluation on the design of an automotive center console.