What is it about?
The automotive industry is rapidly transitioning toward a circular economy, but designing complex, energy-using components, such as electric motors, traction batteries, and automotive electronics, poses serious engineering challenges. In this systematic literature review, we evaluated 30 publications representing 27 distinct computational eco-design tools and frameworks using a quantitative Usability Scorecard. We benchmarked these tools across critical dimensions: their integration into daily engineering workflows (CAD, CAE, and PLM), their ability to balance operational performance with circularity, and their tracking of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs). Our findings show that significant gaps remain: over half (52%) of existing tools still depend on manual data entry rather than seamless CAD/PLM integration, and 44% completely overlook critical material tracking.
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Why is it important?
Up to 80% of a vehicle component's total environmental footprint and lifecycle costs are locked in during the early conceptual design phase. While engineers face mounting regulatory pressure, such as the new EU End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR 2026/1738) and the EU Battery Regulation, they often lack the software tools needed to operationalize circularity. Designing "active", mechatronic parts is especially tricky: making an electric motor or battery easier to disassemble must not compromise its operational energy efficiency, weight, or safety. This review systematically pinpoint why current tools fall short: they frequently speak in retrospective environmental indicators rather than native engineering parameters, and they rely on proprietary, expensive software that excludes smaller suppliers. Identifying these bottlenecks is a vital step toward creating practical, open, and standardized design workflows that make industrial circularity achievable in practice.
Perspectives
While circular economy principles are widely discussed in theory, translating them into everyday engineering decisions remains an uphill battle. With this review, we wanted to bridge the divide between Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) experts and mechanical/systems engineers. Looking ahead, we believe the solution lies in smarter, accessible automation. The convergence of Digital Product Passports (DPPs), open-source computational platforms, and Artificial Intelligence will empower engineers to simulate circularity, material scarcity, and disassembly costs directly within their 3D design environments from day one.
Maurizio Guadagno
Universita degli Studi di Firenze
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Circular Design Frameworks and Tools for Energy-Using Components in the Automotive Industry: A Systematic Literature Review on Usability, Integration, and Sustainability Trade-Offs, World Electric Vehicle Journal, November 2026, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/wevj17110593.
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