Life cycle carbon emission and cost-effectiveness analysis of electric vehicles in China

Abstract

Electric vehicles play an important role in energy transition and low-carbon development. It is important to evaluate the energy-saving emission reduction and cost-effectiveness of electric vehicles. In this paper, the life cycle carbon emission model and the life cycle cost model are established. Combined with the emission inventory and the calculated life cycle cost, the marginal emission reduction cost model is finally established. The results show that: 1) Electric vehicles have reduced 47 % of life-cycle carbon emissions, which is mainly reflected in the extremely small emissions during the utilization phase, and with little difference in other phases; 2) Although electric vehicles have lower emission costs and vehicle use costs, they still cannot compensate the gap in initial purchase costs. Electric vehicles do not have economic advantages over gasoline vehicles; 3) Under the existing technical conditions, electric vehicles have higher marginal abatement costs. The abatement costs are affected by many factors and have a large potential for decline; 4) When the gasoline price exceeds 9.8 CNY/L (1.372 USD/L), the abatement costs of electric vehicles are negative. In this condition, the development of electric vehicles is most effective in promoting energy saving and emission reduction.