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Environmental and Financial Evaluation of Passenger Vehicle Technologies in Belgium

Author

Listed:
  • Maarten Messagie

    (Mobility and Automotive Technology Research Center (MOBI), Faculty of Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Kenneth Lebeau

    (Mobility and Automotive Technology Research Center (MOBI), Faculty of Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Thierry Coosemans

    (Mobility and Automotive Technology Research Center (MOBI), Faculty of Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Cathy Macharis

    (Mobility and Automotive Technology Research Center (MOBI), Faculty of Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Joeri Van Mierlo

    (Mobility and Automotive Technology Research Center (MOBI), Faculty of Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

Abstract

Vehicles with alternative drive trains are regarded as a promising substitute for conventional cars, considering the growing concern about oil depletion and the environmental impact of our transportation system. However, “clean” technologies will only be viable when they are cost-efficient. In this paper, the environmental impacts and the financial costs of different vehicle technologies are calculated for an average Belgian driver. Environmentally friendly vehicles are compared with conventional petrol and diesel vehicles. The assessments are done from a life cycle perspective. The effect on human health, resources and ecosystems is considered when calculating the environmental impact. The total cost of ownership (TCO) model includes the purchase price, registration and road taxes, insurance, fuel or electricity cost, maintenance, tires replacement, technical control, battery leasing and battery replacement. In the presented analysis different vehicle technologies and fuels are compared (petrol, diesel, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)) on their level of environmental impact and cost per kilometer. The analysis shows a lower environmental impact for electric vehicles. However, electric vehicles have a higher total cost of ownership compared to conventional vehicles, even though the fuel operating costs are significantly lower. The purchase cost of electric vehicles is highly linked to the size of the battery pack, and not to the size of the electric vehicle. This explains the relative high cost for the electric city cars and the comparable cost for the medium and premium cars.

Suggested Citation

  • Maarten Messagie & Kenneth Lebeau & Thierry Coosemans & Cathy Macharis & Joeri Van Mierlo, 2013. "Environmental and Financial Evaluation of Passenger Vehicle Technologies in Belgium," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-14, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:12:p:5020-5033:d:30834
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Bauer, Christian & Hofer, Johannes & Althaus, Hans-Jörg & Del Duce, Andrea & Simons, Andrew, 2015. "The environmental performance of current and future passenger vehicles: Life cycle assessment based on a novel scenario analysis framework," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 871-883.
    3. Javier Sanfélix & Cristina De la Rúa & Jannick Hoejrup Schmidt & Maarten Messagie & Joeri Van Mierlo, 2016. "Environmental and Economic Performance of an Li-Ion Battery Pack: A Multiregional Input-Output Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-15, July.
    4. Cedric De Cauwer & Joeri Van Mierlo & Thierry Coosemans, 2015. "Energy Consumption Prediction for Electric Vehicles Based on Real-World Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-21, August.
    5. Tomáš Formánek & Radek Tahal, 2020. "Socio-Demographic Aspects Affecting Individual Stances towards Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in the Czech Republic," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(2), pages 78-93.
    6. Manuel Herrador & Alexandre Carvalho & Francisco R. Feito, 2015. "An Incentive-Based Solution of Sustainable Mobility for Economic Growth and CO 2 Emissions Reduction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-30, May.
    7. Celalettin Yuce & Fatih Karpat & Nurettin Yavuz & Gökhan Sendeniz, 2014. "A Case Study: Designing for Sustainability and Reliability in an Automotive Seat Structure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-24, July.

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