A systematic literature review of the life cycle assessment of electric vehicle components with a second use

Abstract

Due to the increasing demand for electric vehicles, many countries should have the best end-of-life management options for their incoming waste. Extending the life of electric vehicle (EV) components with a second use is preferred, but there is limited information available since it is a new area. There are arguments about whether a second use of retired EV components always increases environmental and economic benefits or not. Therefore, this study used a systematic literature review about the life cycle assessment (LCA) of electric vehicle components with a second use gathered from 23 relevant journals, summarized the topics, and identified possible future research contributions. The results showed further research should use more primary data, especially from India and Southeast Asian countries. Future research objectives may be approached from multiple angles, such as economic, environmental, and technological. Thus, LCA should be combined with other methods like economic analysis, trade-off analysis, and sensitivity analysis in future research. More than three environmental impact assessments should be considered at the same time, particularly those other than global warming, abiotic depletion, and eutrophication. Furthermore, this study concluded that 58% of 19 original articles confirmed that second-use EVcomponents can increase environmental benefits. Also, the economic benefits of reusing EV batteries depend on the prices of new and used batteries.