Techno-economic Analysis and Comparative Study for the Sustainability of Private Motor Vehicles in China

Abstract

This article discusses the life cycle energy consumption and cost of three new energy vehicles (NEVs) through life cycle analysis (LCA) and techno-economic analysis, and compares them with a conventional vehicle (CV). In ideal, average, and extreme scenarios, new energy vehicles are more sustainable than CV, especially in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, but are not as economical as CV. To be concise, electric vehicles have the best environmental sustainability, but the total cost is higher than CVs. The total cost of hybrid electric vehicles is slightly lower than conventional vehicles, but the environmental sustainability is poor.