Integrated LCA and LCC Assessment of a 400 V Automotive IGBT Inverter

This paper focuses on the sustainability analysis of power electronics, particularly on developing an integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) model for an automotive IGBT inverter using SimaPro. The integrated model is parameterized and scalable, enabling the generation of a bill of materials, and environmental and cost-related Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) that adapt according to key parameters such as power and voltage. The model outcomes are environmental impacts and costs of the life cycle of individual inverter components and the inverter itself. A case study has been analyzed, corresponding to a 150 kW and 400 V IGBT inverter mounted on the rear axle of the Volkswagen ID.4. Results highlight that, from an environmental perspective, the aluminum casing, DC-link, and bus bars are the most impactful components. From a cost perspective, the power module is the most significant contributor. Results have been validated through a multi-step validation procedure to assess the robustness of the proposed framework. The LCA results align with the literature in most impact categories, while the cradle-to-gate LCC results deviate by about 16.5% from other benchmark analysis but maintain a consistent trend, demonstrating the model’s reliability for comparative analysis and margin for future optimization.