Life Cycle of an Automobile

Design An automobile begins its life in the design process There are usually 13 different aspects of engineering Time and resources can vary

Materials Over 30 raw materials are used in the components of each car produced Metals, petroleum-based plastics, and other minerals e.g. Aluminum (used in body), Sulfur (battery), Silicon (ceramic components) Retrieved from various places around the world

Manufacturing 73,266,061 cars were manufactured worldwide in 2007 Toyota, GM, and Volkswagen are top manufacturers

Sales and distribution The cars are transported from factories to dealers The majority of cars bought in the U.S. are produced across seas Leading countries include China, Japan, and Germany

Consumer Use In the US, the average annual mileage per car is nearly 12,000 Average lifespan: 145,000 miles or 13 years Average fuel efficiency: 22.6 mpg (as of 2008) Emit carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides

Disposal About 98% of metal in each car is recycled Various types of plastics can be recycled, but many are incinerated Over 90% of batteries are recycled About 60% of tire material is recycled or reused for different purposes