Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how technology-forcing regulations affect the product development process in the supply chain of heavyweight vehicles. Design/methodology/approach Through a case study, this paper seeks to understand how one of the leading companies in heavyweight vehicles manufacturing industry and its engine supplier in Brazil introduce eco-design practices into its engine development process. Findings Through case studies conducted in a heavyweight vehicle producer and its engine supplier, this study shows that, in addition to meeting the standards and legislation, the automaker uses ecodesign practices during the product development cycle such as a design that eliminates harmful and hazardous materials and a project that allows recycling, the reuse of parts and energy efficiency, thereby reducing the environmental impact. However, without the mandatory requirements imposed by federal legislation, products with lower environmental impacts would rarely be developed, as environmental performance is not demanded by customers, who are mainly cost driven. Technology-forcing regulations play an important role in enhancing the adoption of ecodesign practices, but market and competitive conditions also play an important role. Originality/value Several studies on the impacts of public policies and development for the automobile sector have been conducted, but there is a lack of studies in the area of commercial vehicles, especially in Brazil. Therefore, this research is justified by new demands of society, in addition to the necessity of complying with legal requirements and the adoption of good practices related to eco-design.
Highlights
It is widely known that the traditional production and consumption model and economic interest do not usually converge with environmental commitment. Ceschin and Vezzoli (2010) argue that the automotive industry is economically interested in reducing its energy and material consumption in production because it aims to reduce manufacturing costs, but at the same time, it does not have a direct economic interest in reducing energy consumption when the vehicle is in use or in extending the vehicle’s life span
There is a robust body of literature that relates product project and environmental issues, covering aspects such as decision design (Romli, Prickett, Setchi, & Soe, 2015), product design tools (Donnelly, Beckett-Furnell, Traeger, Okrasinski, & Holman, 2006), and product development in the automotive industry (Schoggl, Baumgartner, & Hofer, 2017)
Ecodesign practices were verified during the development of trucks with the euro 5 engine
Summary
It is widely known that the traditional production and consumption model and economic interest do not usually converge with environmental commitment. Ceschin and Vezzoli (2010) argue that the automotive industry is economically interested in reducing its energy and material consumption in production because it aims to reduce manufacturing costs, but at the same time, it does not have a direct economic interest in reducing energy consumption when the vehicle is in use or in extending the vehicle’s life span. In recent decades, growing pressure from society has led governments worldwide to adopt stricter policies regarding emissions, especially in the form of technology-forcing regulations (Wesseling, Farla, & Hekkert, 2015). To comply with these regulations, companies need to integrate solutions to environmental issues into their products and processes to gain and maintain market share. Environmental issues and the expansion of the supply chain scope have played a significant role in the development of company’s competitive strategies in this context (Govindan, Kaliyan, Kannan, & Haq, 2014; Hsu, Choon Tan, Hanim Mohamad Zailani, & Jayaraman, 2013; Jullien, 2008) Concepts such as ecodesign have promoted a reinterpretation of the conception, design, and the industrial production of goods (Byggeth, Broman, & Robèrt, 2007), providing a theoretical framework for application guidelines in the product development process.
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