Vehicle fleet electrification and its effects on the global warming potential of highway pavements in the United States

Abstract

The adoption of electric vehicles has led to a transition towards sustainable mobility. However, there has been a lack of research considering the effects of vehicle fleet electrification on asphalt pavement infrastructure. This study quantifies the impact of vehicle fleet changes on the global warming potential of asphalt concrete pavement systems across the United States via a comprehensive life cycle assessment model. The case studies encompass a large range of scenarios, including rural and urban Interstate highways, low and high carbon grid mixes, and low and high electric vehicle adoption rates. The inclusion of fleet electrification reduces the global warming potential of typical rural and urban Interstate highway pavements in the United States between 7% and 24%. This finding suggests that the adoption of electric vehicles will lower the global warming impact of the pavement use stage across all regions of the United States. Our findings and model can enable decision-makers to account for the environmental impact of electric vehicles on pavement infrastructure and discern their effects when developing sustainable management strategies.