Environmental impacts of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles—what can we learn from life cycle assessment?
Anders Nordelöf,Maarten Messagie,Anne-Marie Tillman,Maria Ljunggren Söderman,Joeri Van Mierlo,Joeri Van Mierlo +5 more
TLDR
In this paper, the authors investigate the usefulness of different types of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of electrified vehicles to provide robust and relevant stakeholder information, and present synthesized conclusions based on 79 papers.Abstract:
The purpose of this review article is to investigate the usefulness of different types of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of electrified vehicles to provide robust and relevant stakeholder information. It presents synthesized conclusions based on 79 papers. Another objective is to search for explanations to divergence and “complexity” of results found by other overviewing papers in the research field, and to compile methodological learnings. The hypothesis was that such divergence could be explained by differences in goal and scope definitions of the reviewed LCA studies. The review has set special attention to the goal and scope formulation of all included studies. First, completeness and clarity have been assessed in view of the ISO standard’s (ISO 2006a, b) recommendation for goal definition. Secondly, studies have been categorized based on technical and methodological scope, and searched for coherent conclusions. Comprehensive goal formulation according to the ISO standard (ISO 2006a, b) is absent in most reviewed studies. Few give any account of the time scope, indicating the temporal validity of results and conclusions. Furthermore, most studies focus on today’s electric vehicle technology, which is under strong development. Consequently, there is a lack of future time perspective, e.g., to advances in material processing, manufacturing of parts, and changes in electricity production. Nevertheless, robust assessment conclusions may still be identified. Most obvious is that electricity production is the main cause of environmental impact for externally chargeable vehicles. If, and only if, the charging electricity has very low emissions of fossil carbon, electric vehicles can reach their full potential in mitigating global warming. Consequently, it is surprising that almost no studies make this stipulation a main conclusion and try to convey it as a clear message to relevant stakeholders. Also, obtaining resources can be observed as a key area for future research. In mining, leakage of toxic substances from mine tailings has been highlighted. Efficient recycling, which is often assumed in LCA studies of electrified vehicles, may reduce demand for virgin resources and production energy. However, its realization remains a future challenge. LCA studies with clearly stated purposes and time scope are key to stakeholder lessons and guidance. It is also necessary for quality assurance. LCA practitioners studying hybrid and electric vehicles are strongly recommended to provide comprehensive and clear goal and scope formulation in line with the ISO standard (ISO 2006a, b).read more
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The environmental impact of Li-Ion batteries and the role of key parameters - A review
Jens F. Peters,Manuel Baumann,Manuel Baumann,Benedikt Zimmermann,Jessica Braun,Marcel Weil,Marcel Weil +6 more
TL;DR: In this article, a review of LCA studies on Li-Ion batteries, with a focus on the battery production process, is presented, and the main assumptions are extracted in order to provide a quick overview of the technical key parameters used in each study.
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Opportunities and Challenges for Organic Electrodes in Electrochemical Energy Storage.
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a literature review of studies that investigate infrastructure needs to support the market introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), focusing on literature relating to consumer preferences for charging infrastructure, and how consumers interact with and use this infrastructure.
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The environmental performance of current and future passenger vehicles: Life cycle assessment based on a novel scenario analysis framework
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References
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The Revision of ISO Standards 14040-3 - ISO 14040: Environmental management Life cycle assessment Principles and framework - ISO 14044: Environmental management Life cycle assessment Requirements and guidelines
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Ageing mechanisms in lithium-ion batteries
Jens Vetter,Petr Novák,Markus Robert Wagner,Claudia Veit,Kai-Christian Möller,Jürgen Besenhard,Martin Winter,Margret Wohlfahrt-Mehrens,C Vogler,Abderrezak Hammouche +9 more
TL;DR: In this article, the mechanisms of lithium-ion battery ageing are reviewed and evaluated, and the most promising candidate as the power source for (hybrid) electric vehicles and stationary energy storage.
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Recent developments in Life Cycle Assessment.
Göran Finnveden,Michael Zwicky Hauschild,Tomas Ekvall,Jeroen B. Guinée,Reinout Heijungs,Stefanie Hellweg,Annette Koehler,David Pennington,Sangwon Suh +8 more
TL;DR: A review of recent developments of LCA methods, focusing on some areas where there has been an intense methodological development during the last years, and some of the emerging issues.
Supporting Online Material for: Ethanol Can Contribute To Energy and Environmental Goals
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Ethanol Can Contribute to Energy and Environmental Goals
Alexander E. Farrell,Richard J. Plevin,Brian T. Turner,Andrew D. Jones,Michael O'Hare,Daniel M. Kammen +5 more
TL;DR: It is already clear that large-scale use of ethanol for fuel will almost certainly require cellulosic technology and new metrics that measure specific resource inputs are developed, but further research into environmental metrics is needed.