Can electric vehicles significantly reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy? Scenarios of compact vehicles in the UK as a case in point

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly regarded as the way forward to deliver a much-needed improvement in the transport sector's sustainability profile, and the UK is embarking on a major transition towards them. While previous studies focused mainly on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this article assesses the extent to which EVs may contribute to reducing the UK's dependence on (mostly imported) non-renewable primary energy. The study combines a life-cycle model of a compact battery electric vehicle (BEV) with a prospective energy analysis of a range of electricity supply alternatives for the vehicle's use phase. The key metric analysed is the non-renewable cumulative energy demand (nr-CED). Results show that, already under current conditions, the nr-CED of a compact BEV in the UK is lower by approximately 34% with respect to that of an otherwise similar internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV). Such reduction is then expected to improve further under all future scenarios, indicating that a transition to EVs is indeed a recommendable option to reduce the UK's demand for non-renewable energy, especially if this is accompanied by a shift to a more renewable electric grid.