Emissions Of Electric Vehicle Research Articles

Well-to-Wheel emissions of electric vehicles in Türkiye and emission mitigation by renewable penetration

Automotive technology is currently on the verge of transitioning to electric vehicles, and both the impact of these vehicles on electricity consumption and their environmental performance are the focus of significant interest. In this paper, the emission impacts based on the use of electric vehicles are analyzed using the Well-to-Wheel methodology. In order to evaluate electric vehicle emissions, emissions based on electricity generation and consumption are first determined. Emission intensities are found in gCO2e/kWh for electricity consumption and gCO2e/km for battery electric vehicles. Well-to-wheel emissions are found 172.2 and 89.1 gCO2e/km for conventional and electric vehicles, respectively. With the renewable penetration in electricity generation, the emission intensity will be lower, which means that the emissions of electric vehicles will be further reduced. Thus, a renewable energy supported charging station is simulated and it is shown that emission intensities can be reduced by 60 %. It is concluded that Türkiye should focus primarily on renewable energy sources and then nuclear energy in order to meet the increasing electricity demand and reduce emission intensities.

The emission of off-road vehicles and their reduction options

Abstract The reduction of harmful emissions is a popular topic in both scientific and public circles. Contrary to popular belief, emissions from transport are only a small part of global emissions. As shown in the figure, the average of the EU 27 countries attributes only 15% of emissions from transport. From common perspective, vehicles with internal combustion, including diesel engines, will soon be replaced by alternative drivetrains. However at least at the commercial and off-road transportation, the diesel technology it is not so easy, and also the environmental reasons are questionable. Although the local emissions of electric vehicles are zero, their global emissions are, according to some research, more significant than their counterparts with internal combustion engines. The total electricity produced in the world in 2016 was about 25 PWh, two-thirds of which came from fossil energy carriers, which seriously damages the ecosystem, so it cannot be labelled as green energy.

Energy sources as a function of electric vehicle emission: The case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

This paper deals with the analysis of challenges and perspectives of the transition to electric vehicles as a sustainable solution for the transport sector in the context of global energy challenges and the need to reduce negative environmental impacts. With an emphasis on the energy situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the paper explores the possibilities of switching to electric vehicles (EVs) and analyses the effects of energy sources on CO2 emissions. The paper highlights the motivation to switch to EVs, driven by the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and rely on renewable energy sources. After analysing relevant studies, it is concluded that smaller and lighter electric vehicles have lower CO2 emissions and that the participation of renewable sources in electricity production reduces these emissions. The conducted analysis of the vehicle fleet specifies that the CO2 emissions of electric vehicles are not zero and that they depend on the source of electricity. Furthermore, other factors, such as the production of batteries, also play an important role in the overall environmental impact. Although the motivation to switch to electric vehicles is emphasized to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use renewable energy sources, it has been shown that the CO2 emissions of electric vehicles (EVs) are not zero and significantly depend on the energy sources. Calculations performed on the vehicle fleet of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the year 2021, using Copert as the tool, showed that vehicles driven by fossil fuels emit about 1.6 million tonnes of CO2. In comparison, if all vehicles were replaced with electrical ones, the CO2 emissions would be about 1.15 million tonnes. As for the required electricity to power EVs, it is calculated that the required amount would be about 1,539 GWh per year. This paper acknowledges the presence of emissions associated with battery production, storage, and disposal, as well as vehicles themselves. However, it does not delve into this issue in detail. Future research will aim to address this matter more thoroughly.

Analysis of the carbon footprint of electric vehicles in relation to their life cycle

In order to determine the environmental impact of electric vehicles (EVs), a comparative analysis was made between the CO2 emissions of internal combustion vehicles (ICEs) during their entire life cycle and the emissions of electric vehicles. This study sought to have a more realistic perspective. For this purpose, the life cycle of both types of vehicles was divided into three phases, calculating the kg of CO2 emitted during each of them. The results showed the significant difference in CO2 emissions generated by both types of vehicles, with ICVs generating 32,492 kg of CO2 more than EVs with NCM lithium-ion batteries and 32,403.7 kg of CO2 for those with LFP batteries. Once the analysis was done, it was determined that EVs are an appropriate response to the environmental crisis that the world is currently facing.

Climate change adaptation and mitigation potential of EVs in Tokyo metropolitan area

Penetration of low heat-emitting electric vehicles (EVs) in urban areas is expected to have a positive effect on climate change adaptation by improving the thermal environment, and indirect mitigation by reducing building CO2 emissions. To assess these effects, a case study was conducted in Tokyo using an urban canopy model. We quantified the impact and characterize its spatio-temporal structure, through a comparative evaluation with other forms of e-mobility (hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles) and established UHI measures (ground greening and cool roofs). EVs showed the largest effect among all e-mobilities, both in absolute temperature reduction (ΔT) and cooling efficiency (ΔT per reduced heat), owing to the positive feedback on atmospheric stability. The ΔT caused by EV is more pronounced in the morning and evening hours, and in urban centers. On the other hand, the ΔT due to UHI measures peaks at midday and is more pronounced in suburban areas. In other words, they complement each other spatially and temporally. The peak ΔT caused by the EVs exceeded that of the UHI measures by approximately 40% of the total area. The contribution of indirect CO2 mitigation is negligible in the life-cycle CO2 emissions of EVs.

V2G Carbon Accounting and Revenue Allocation: Balancing EV Contributions in Distribution Systems

Accurate carbon emission accounting for electric vehicles (EVs) is particularly important, especially for those participating in the carbon market. However, the participation of numerous EVs in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) scheduling complicates the precise accounting of individual EV emissions. This paper presents a novel approach to carbon accounting and benefits distribution for EVs. It includes a low-carbon dispatch model for a distribution system (DS), aimed at reducing total emissions through strategic EV charging scheduling. Further, an improved carbon emission flow accounting model is proposed to calculate the carbon reduction of EVs before and after low-carbon dispatch. It enables real-time carbon flow tracking during EV charging and discharging, then accurately quantifies the carbon reduction amount. Additionally, it employs the Shapley value method to ensure equitable distribution of carbon revenue, balancing low-carbon operation costs and carbon reduction contributions. A case study based on a 31-node campus distribution network demonstrated that effective scheduling of 1296 EVs can significantly reduce system carbon emissions. This method can accurately account for the carbon emissions of EVs under different charging states, and provides a balanced analysis of EV carbon reduction contributions and costs, advocating for fair revenue allocation.

Ensuring greenhouse gas reductions from electric vehicles compared to hybrid gasoline vehicles requires a cleaner U.S. electricity grid

Emissions from electric vehicles depend on when they are charged and which power plants meet the electricity demand. We introduce a new metric, the critical emissions factors (CEFs), as the emissions intensity of electricity that needs to be achieved when charging to ensure electric vehicles achieve lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions parity with some of the most efficient gasoline hybrid vehicles across the United States. We use a consequential framework, consider 2018 as our reference year, and account for the effects of temperature and drive cycle on vehicle efficiency to account for regional climate and use conditions. We find that the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt battery electric vehicles reduce lifecycle emissions relative to Toyota Prius and Honda Accord gasoline hybrids in most of the United States. However, in rural counties of the Midwest and the South, power grid marginal emissions reductions of up to 208 gCO2/kWh are still needed for these electric vehicles to have lower lifecycle emissions than gasoline hybrids. Except for the Northeast and Florida, the longer-range Tesla Model S battery-electric luxury sedan has higher emissions than the hybrids across the U.S., and the emissions intensity of the grid would need to decrease by up to 342 gCO2/kWh in some locations for it to achieve carbon parity with hybrid gasoline vehicles. Finally, we conclude that coal retirements and stricter standards on fossil fuel generators are more effective in the medium term at reducing consequential electric vehicle emissions than expansion of renewable capacity.

Optimal Scheduling of Regional Integrated Energy System Considering the Integration of Electric Vehicles and the Life Cycle Assessment Method

With the increasing scale of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs), the optimization scheduling of the regional integrated energy system (RIES) is facing new challenges due to the integration of EVs and new energy into the system. To realize the low-carbon economic operation of the RIES, a bi-level optimization scheduling strategy for low-carbon economic operation of the RIES is proposed, which considers EVs' participation and lifecycle carbon emissions, and integrates the electricity market and carbon trading market. Firstly, there are many factors affecting the carbon emissions of EVs and the difficulties in prediction. From the indirect carbon emissions during the use of EVs, the relationship between the carbon emissions of EVs and the charging mode and carbon emission sources is comprehensively analyzed. A carbon emission model of EVs based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is established in this paper. Secondly, the charging model of EVs based on demand response is combined with the electricity market; The carbon emission model of EVs based on the LCA is combined with the carbon trading market, and a bi-level scheduling strategy based on the flexible interaction between carbon and electricity is proposed. Then the strategy is solved to minimize system economic costs and carbon transaction costs. Finally, simulation example analysis is conducted to demonstrate that the proposed strategy can effectively reduce the total charging costs of electric vehicle users, improve the utilization rate of renewable energy, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, with good economic and environmental benefits.

A benchmarking analysis on electric vehicle emissions of leading countries in electricity generation by energy sources

A benchmarking analysis on vehicle emissions has been performed in this study. Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) powered by electricity is taken into consideration in emission analysis. Calculations have been conducted for leading G20 countries in certain energy sources in electricity generation. According to the analysis, most optimal results are obtained in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Particulate Matters (PM10 & PM2.5), Sulfur Oxides (SOx), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, if the vehicle is charged in France. Only Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions are calculated as to be the lowest values in Canada, compared to other countries. Emissions of an average SUV Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle (ICEV) powered by gasoline are also added to the comparison.

The impact of passenger electric vehicles on carbon reduction and environmental impact under the 2050 net zero policy in Taiwan

In response to the 2050 net-zero emission goal, Taiwan initiated the “Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions” in 2022, including a focus on electric vehicles (EVs). However, the emission reduction effect of electric vehicles has not been fully studied in Taiwan. Therefore, this study aims to conduct life cycle assessment (LCA) on environmental performance by replacing petrol vehicles with electric vehicles on the basis of the well-to-wheel method. This study also establishes a feedback mechanism through system dynamics to correlate the DALY results of LCA with population and energy demand. Results of the impact of DALY on lifespan and population is relatively small, indicating that the reduction in environmental impact from electric vehicles helps mitigate the decline in population. The emission-reducing potential and environmental impact of electric vehicles by 2050 are also estimated. Results demonstrate that within a 95% confidence interval and considering uncertainties arising from total driving distance, fuel economy, and energy intensity of electric vehicles, the greenhouse gas emissions of electric vehicles in 2050 will be between 7.826 × 105 and 1.069 × 106 tCO2e, respectively. In addition, the emission-reducing potential of electric vehicles is in the range of 1.076 × 106 to 1.804 × 106 tCO2e.

Impact of electric vehicle emissions in the Brazilian scenario of energy transition and use of bioethanol

The transport sector stands out on the world stage due to its significant share of greenhouse gas emissions, which currently equate to 25% of global emissions. In the global context of energy transition, the electrification of mobility is shown as one of the alternatives to mitigate the impacts of global warming. In Brazil, the conjuncture is of extensive use of renewable energy sources, in which bioethanol accounts for about 35% of the primary source in flex-fuel vehicles and the electricity generation matrix comprises about 83% of renewable sources. This study aims to evaluate the global warming potential (GWP) resulting from the insertion of electric vehicles in the long term (2023–2050), in scenarios of the Brazilian light vehicle fleet, considering the transition of the electric generation matrix and the use of bioethanol. In this sense, statistical methodologies applied to historical data series and regression algorithms were used to estimate the fleet. This is in addition to the life cycle assessment approach applied to the manufacture and use of vehicles, and also fuel production in order to estimate the global warming potential. The results of the comparative evaluation showed that the ICE and HEV vehicles fueled by bioethanol had the lowest emissions per kilometer driven, compared to purely electric vehicles. In the long term, the scenario with a greater share of bioethanol proved to be more favorable for reducing annual emissions, presenting annual emissions of 69 Mt CO2eq/year in 2050 compared to 81 Mt CO2eq/year in 2020. The results of this study will provide fundamental information for planning to mitigate the environmental impacts of the transportation sector.

Evaluation of fuel consumption and emissions benefits of connected and automated vehicles in mixed traffic flow

Introduction: The presence of connected and automated vehicles (CAV) in mixed traffic flows with different market penetration rates (MPRs) in urban road scenarios has a significant effect on fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.Methods: Therefore, in this study, real-world road networks and traffic data are simulated using SUMO based on actual data from a survey. The fuel consumption and emission benefits of CAVs in mixed traffic flows are well-evaluated, and the energy-saving performance of CAVs under low-speed vehicle interference is tested. In addition, this study explores both the energy consumption and emissions of purely electric vehicles.Results: The results show that with 100% CAV penetration, fuel vehicles have a maximum reduction in fuel consumption of 18% and a maximum increase in average speed of 31.6%, while the energy consumption of electric vehicles increases due to communication, detection, and collaboration between CAVs.Discussion: However, the results clearly demonstrate that the carbon emissions of electric vehicles are significantly lower than fuel vehicles. In addition, the increase in low-speed vehicles will result in an increase in energy consumption and emissions. Therefore, increasing the percentage of electric vehicles on the roads and transitioning from manual to autonomous driving systems is crucial to curbing carbon emissions.

Potential reductions of CO2 emissions from the transition to electric vehicles: Thailand’s scenarios towards 2030

The climate crisis has become a significant concern for many worldwide sectors. One of the primary causes of global warming comes from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, in which the transport sector is the major emitter, especially from road vehicles. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been seen as the best decarbonization choice to respond to the global warming issue by replacing fossil-fueled engines with electrically driven engines, especially electricity from renewable energy sources. Last year, Thailand’s government unveiled a roadmap with a view to achieving EV production of at least 30% of all auto production in the country by 2030 through the 30@30 policy plan. This study describes the potential reductions of CO2 emissions and their cost resulting from the transition to EVs in Thailand. The CO2 emissions of EVs caused by Thailand’s road vehicle fleet and battery production have been considered, and the forecasting scenarios of the proportion of EVs in 2030 have been studied. In the scenarios, the number of road cars in 2030 was estimated based on the registered vehicle statistics in Thailand. The data on seven-passenger cars powered by gasoline and electricity are used. A potential incentive from the government to encourage the use of EVs is also discussed based on analyzing the cost of carbon.

Vehicle Environmental Efficiency Evaluation in Different Regions in China: A Combination of the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Methods

The efficiency of the same vehicle can vary in different regions, posing unique challenges and implications for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) within a country. However, most studies have regarded countries as single entities, and it is difficult to assess differences in efficiency between similar entities by simply using the life cycle analysis (LCA) method. To provide the specific environmental efficiency of vehicles in each region, in this study, we used data from 100 cities in 30 provinces in China (4 provinces are not discussed due to a lack of data) and constructed a new road congestion indicator that simulated different road conditions at different times and in different regions. A more effective method, which consisted of LCA, two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) and a slack-based model (SBM), was integrated to reflect the phases of LCA more clearly. The results show that the well-to-wheel (WTW) emission range of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) is 288.28–217.40 CO2-eq g/km, while it is 248.20–26.67 CO2-eq g/km for EVs, which means the WTW carbon emissions of EVs are generally lower than those of ICEVs (except in Heilongjiang Province). Furthermore, it was concluded that provinces with a high proportion of hydropower and a high degree of power autonomy could adjust the proportion of thermal power and inter-provincial power transmission to enhance environmental sustainability, and this would not change provincial environmental efficiency. The analysis suggests that provinces should consider both environmental protection and electricity sustainability when planning their own power development, rather than only focusing on improving environmental efficiency.

Electrification of New Zealand transport: Environmental impacts and role of renewable energy

New Zealand's goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 has led to the development of strategic policies and schemes to encourage the use of electric vehicles (EVs). However, most studies are focused on the greenhouse gas emissions of EVs while limited studies are available on their other potential environmental impacts. Using life cycle assessment (LCA), the environmental impacts of EV adoption, specifically the battery electric vehicle (BEV), were assessed to determine the future environmental challenges for New Zealand. Due to 87.1 % share of renewable sources of electricity generation in New Zealand in 2022, EV adoption has demonstrated its strong potential to reduce the CO2 emission of the transport sector. Results showed that lithium-ion battery (LIB), including production and disposal, is the major contributor to the environmental impacts of BEV adoption. The direct environmental impacts of BEV in New Zealand range from 0.34 % to 42.5 % across its life cycle. The results are sensitive to the assumptions of the driving range and number of LIB replacements where they could increase up to 34.5 % per km and up to 48.9 % per replacement of LIB on environmental impacts, respectively. Scenario analysis also showed that when the renewable energy share in electricity production is increased to 100 %, the environmental impacts of the BEV life cycle could be reduced by up to 14.5 % while it could decrease by up to 69.6 % in New Zealand. Additionally, reusing the spent LIB for other purposes would have the least environmental impacts on disposal among the options considered in the study. Therefore, New Zealand would benefit the most from BEV adoption by generating 100 % electricity from renewable sources, and developing policies and schemes to repurpose LIB at its end of life.

Production and decarbonisation of conventional gasoline vehicle automakers under subsidy and regulation policies

ABSTRACT Decarbonising the transportation sector through electrification is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To explore the decarbonisation of conventional gasoline vehicle (GV) automakers in GV and/or electric vehicle (EV) production, we develop analytical models under pure subsidy, pure regulation, and hybrid subsidy-regulation policies. We first examine the monopoly GV automaker’s EV market entry intention in each policy and find that it always increases with consumer range sensitivity and subsidy/regulation parameters, but decreases with product substitutability between the two vehicles. Then, we analyse the implication of policy changes on equilibrium outcomes. Our results show that although introducing regulations and removing subsidies have opposite effects on optimal production and driving range decisions, both might stimulate or restrict the GV automaker to decarbonise, depending on the unit carbon emissions of GVs and EVs. Finally, we extend the monopoly model to the duopoly case, showing that while entering the EV market hurts the EV automaker, it allows the GV automaker’s carbon emissions to always decrease with GV credit coefficients. Together with sensitivity analyses on key parameters, our findings provide insights not only for GV automakers to respond to policy changes but also for governments to design incentives for EV diffusion.

Emissions of electric vehicles in California’s transition to carbon neutrality

California has a many activities targeting specific sectors to mitigate climate change. This study models several scenarios of future electric vehicle emissions in the state and explores untapped policy opportunities for interactions between sectors, specifically between the transportation and electricity grid. As electric vehicles become more prevalent, their impact on the electricity grid is directly related to the aggregate patterns of vehicle charging—even without vehicle-to-grid services, shifting of charging patterns can be a potentially important resource to alleviate issues such as renewable intermittency. This study involved the creation of a model to predict the potential emissions benefits of managed vs. unmanaged charging. The study finds that the lion’s share of emissions reduction in the light-duty transportation sector in California comes from electrification, with a cumulative 1 billion tons of CO2 reduction through 2045. This figure represents a decrease of about 4 tons CO2/capita/year from the average operation of Californian passenger vehicles in 2020 to about 40 kg CO2/capita/year in 2045. Decarbonization of the current grid leads to an additional savings of 125 million tons of CO2 over the same time-period. As the state moves towards these objectives through existing (and potential future) policies, additional policies to exploit synergies between transportation electrification and grid decarbonization could reduce cumulative emissions by another 10 million tons of CO2.

Developing an hourly-resolution well-to-wheel carbon dioxide emission inventory of electric vehicles

Vehicle electrification is reshaping global road transport, whereas the understanding of the well-to-wheel (WTW) CO2 emissions of electric vehicles (EVs) is mostly limited to the annual average, ignoring short-term variation. This study developed a framework to quantify the heterogeneity in the WTW CO2 emissions of EVs with different charging hours for multiple regions. The framework incorporates the consumption-based grid's CO2 emission factor, dynamic EV fuel consumption rate, and different charging levels and EV types. A three-year hourly-resolution WTW CO2 emission inventory of EVs was established for 71 regions across the contiguous United States. Results show that the EV's WTW CO2 emissions vary by season, charging hour, region, and EV type; up to 26% of WTW CO2 emissions could be reduced by shifting the current most common charging time. The study built a foundation inventory for policymakers to formulate daily smart charging schemes to minimize EV's WTW CO2 emissions.

Towards Net Zero Electric Vehicle Emissions in Africa

Towards Net Zero Electric Vehicle Emissions in Africa

Life cycle carbon footprint of electric vehicles in different countries: A review

Facing with upward pressure on carbon emissions from the transportation sector, governments actively promote the automation and electrification of the transportation industry, and intelligent electric vehicles (EVs) are ushering in their golden age. However, the debate over whether EVs are lower carbon than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) has never stopped. To objectively evaluate the role of EVs in mitigating climate change and carbon emissions, this study provides an extensive review of the literature on the life cycle carbon footprint of various EVs, and compares the carbon emissions of EVs and ICEVs. Considering that the carbon emissions of EVs vary significantly geographically due to differences in the power mix, ambient temperature, and driving conditions, this review further compares the carbon emission reduction effects of deploying EVs in different countries. The results show that the life cycle carbon footprint of EVs is lower than that of ICEVs, despite the higher carbon emissions from battery production. According to the power generation situation of each country, countries dominated by renewable energy power generation are more suitable for adopting EVs, while in countries with a predominantly coal-fired power generation, the popularization of EVs should be accompanied by a focus on decarbonization of the electricity sector and infrastructure improvements. Overall, improving the production technology of EVs and increasing the proportion of clean energy generation will be helpful to achieve the decarbonization goal in the transportation sector.