Energy and environmental life-cycle assessment of passenger car electrification based on Beijing driving patterns

Abstract

This paper examines the energy and environmental benefits within the whole life cycle shifting from traditional gasoline vehicles to electrified advanced vehicles under regional real-world driving behaviors. The advance vehicles focus on family passenger cars and include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The GREET (greenhouse gases, regulated emissions, and energy use in transportation) model is adopted with regional circumstances modifications, especially the UF (utility factors) of PHEVs. The results show that the electrified vehicles offer great benefits concerning energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as urban Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) emissions. Compared to conventional gasoline vehicles, the life-cycle total energy reduction for advance vehicles is 51% to 57%. There is little difference on energy reduction among the HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs, with the energy mix shifting from petroleum to coal for the stronger electrification. The reductions of GHG emissions are 57% for HEV, 54% to 48% for PHEVs with 10 miles to 40 miles CD range, and 40% for BEV. The life-cycle and local PM2.5 emissions are discussed separately. The life-cycle PM2.5 emissions increase with vehicle electrification and reach a maximum for the BEV which are 5% higher than the conventional vehicle (CV). However, electric vehicles can shift PM2.5 emissions from vehicle operation to upstream operations and help mitigate PM2.5 emissions in urban areas. The local emissions of PHEVs and BEVs can be reduced by 37% to 81% and 100% compared with CVs.