Product Carbon Footprint for Automotive Products
PCF calculation and documentation for automotive components, assemblies and products across the supply chain.
PCF-X supports automotive manufacturers and suppliers in quantifying the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their products, using product-specific data and recognized life cycle assessment methodologies.
ISO 14067 · Automotive Supply Chain · Product-Specific Data
PCF for Automotive Components and Products
Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are increasingly required to provide reliable Product Carbon Footprint data for individual products and components.
PCF-X develops product-level carbon footprint calculations using material, energy, manufacturing, transport and other relevant life cycle data. The assessment is structured to provide a transparent and traceable result that can be communicated to customers and other supply-chain partners.
Typical products include:
- Electrical cables, wiring harnesses and connectors
- Electronic and electromechanical components
- Metal and aluminium components
- Plastic and polymer components
- Raw materials, chemicals and semi-finished products
- Machined, stamped and formed parts
- Battery and electric vehicle components
- Mechanical assemblies and subsystems
- Other automotive parts and supplied products
From Product Data to Carbon Footprint
A PCF starts with the product - not with generic averages.
The calculation is developed from the actual characteristics of the assessed product and its manufacturing process. Depending on the required scope and available information, the assessment may include
Materials and components
Raw materials, purchased components, recycled content and supplier-specific information.
Manufacturing
Electricity, fuels, process energy, consumables, production losses and other relevant manufacturing inputs.
Transport and supply chain
Relevant inbound and outbound transport flows and available supplier data.
Life cycle stages
Production and, where required, additional stages of the product life cycle.
Carbon footprint modelling
GHG emissions are quantified using appropriate emission factors, life cycle inventory datasets and applicable methodological requirements.
ISO 14067-Based PCF Methodology
PCF-X applies the principles and requirements of ISO 14067 – Carbon footprint of products together with relevant life cycle assessment principles.
The methodology addresses key aspects such as:
System boundaries · Functional or declared unit · Data quality · Allocation · Primary and secondary data · GHG emissions · GWP results · Assumptions and limitations
The objective is not simply to produce a CO₂e value, but to develop a documented and reproducible Product Carbon Footprint whose underlying data, assumptions and calculation methodology can be understood and reviewed.
Automotive PCF Requirements Across the Supply Chain
When your customer requests a Product Carbon Footprint
PCF requirements do not stop at Tier 1. A request may originate from an OEM or another customer and cascade through multiple levels of the automotive supply chain—from systems and component manufacturers to processors and producers of materials, chemicals and semi-finished products.
Regardless of its formal position in the supply chain, a supplier may be required to provide reliable, product-specific carbon footprint data for a component, material or manufacturing process.
PCF-X supports automotive suppliers in:
- understanding the customer's request and applicable methodology;
- defining the assessed product, declared unit and system boundaries;
- identifying and structuring the required product, supplier and manufacturing data;
- calculating and documenting a transparent and reproducible Product Carbon Footprint;
- preparing the result in the format requested by the customer.
A customer-specific PCF request does not necessarily require direct participation in Catena-X. Where the result must be calculated or exchanged according to Catena-X requirements, additional methodological, data-quality and data-exchange rules may apply.
What You Receive
A PCF project can include, depending on the agreed scope:
- Product and system-boundary definition
- Data collection structure
- Review of primary product and manufacturing data
- Life cycle inventory modelling
- Product Carbon Footprint calculation in kg CO₂e
- Identification and documentation of assumptions
- PCF calculation report
- Supporting calculation documentation
- Assistance with customer-specific PCF requirements
Have You Received a PCF Request From Your Customer?
Send us the product information and the PCF requirements you have received. We can review the request and determine the appropriate calculation scope and methodology.