Abstract
Significant advances in battery technology are creating a viable marketspace for battery powered passenger vehicles. Climate change and concerns over reliable supplies of hydrocarbons are aiding in the focus on electric vehicles. Consumers can be influenced by marketing and emotion resulting in behaviors that may not be in line with their stated objectives. Although sales of electric vehicles are accelerating, it may not be clear that purchasing an electric vehicle is advantageous from an economic or environmental perspective. A techno-economic analysis of electric vehicles comparing them against hybrids, gasoline and diesel vehicles is presented. The results show that the complexity of electrical power supply, infrastructure requirements and full life cycle concerns show that electric vehicles have a place in the future but that ongoing improvements will be required for them to be clearly the best choice for a given situation.
Highlights
Battery powered electric vehicles have been a potential transportation choice for at least 180 years (Larson et al, 2014) but they have struggled to gain consumer interest
A recent shift has been the commercial introduction of hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids which both have on-board fossil fuel optional power to reduce the required storage capacity of the batteries
Greater advances in fuel efficiency for gasoline engines since 2004 has been offset by the unabated demand for horsepower with an increase of about 4% more power per year for the average vehicle sold in the United States (US)
Summary
Battery powered electric vehicles have been a potential transportation choice for at least 180 years (Larson et al, 2014) but they have struggled to gain consumer interest. Climate change and questioning the continued reliance on hydrocarbons is providing fertile ground for a resurgence in electric cars and is developing interest in new battery technologies to increase range and decrease charging times. This is especially the case for automotive applications where technological advances are being sought to reduce local emissions and support developments such as self-driving and other autonomous operations. This interest is buoyed by higher costs and uncertain dependability of supply for fossil fuels, and the negative impact on air quality caused by vehicle traffic (Egbue and Long, 2012).
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