Press Hardening for Sustainable Lightweight Chassis Design in Heavy‐Duty Vehicles: A Material Performance and Life Cycle Assessment Approach

The transport sector is critical for reducing GHG emissions. Heavy‐duty vehicles (HDVs) remain challenging due to slow electrification and rising demand. Lightweighting using advanced high‐strength steels (AHSS) and press‐hardened boron steels offers a practical solution. These materials combine strength, fatigue resistance, cost efficiency, and lower environmental impact compared to other lightweighting alternatives. This work assesses the effectiveness of different steels and manufacturing processes for lightweighting HDV chassis components, focusing on fatigue performance and life cycle environmental impacts. Comparing cold stamped hot rolled AHSS with press hardened 22MnB5 sheets shows that press hardening can cut weight by up to 34% without compromising fatigue resistance, especially when paired with shot peening. Cradle‐to‐grave LCAs across BEV, HEV, and PHEV configurations reveal that the use phase dominates impacts (88%–99%). Press‐hardened components reduce global warming potential and resource depletion by 21%–32%, particularly in HEV and PHEV scenarios. These findings underscore the role of strategic lightweighting and material selection in supporting transport sector climate goals.