Evaluating alternative methanol fuel cell vehicles based on life cycle assessment with system dynamics

China operates as a leading worldwide methanol manufacturer while working to develop multiple technologies for methanol fuel cell vehicle (MFCV) production. However, the overall performance of different methanol production routes in terms of resources, environment and economy is still unclear. The study creates a Resource-Environment-Economy (REE) model which combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with system dynamics to evaluate three methanol production methods for MFCVs from 2022 through 2035 under different renewable energy integration levels. The biomass-to-methanol (BTMV) process requires the least amount of life cycle energy at 34.11 % less than CO2-to-methanol (CO2MV) and 22.11 % less than coal-to-methanol (CTMV). The fuel cycle of CO2MV produces negative emissions. The three production methods demonstrate distinct water consumption patterns which create problems when trying to distribute water resources throughout China. The economic assessment demonstrates that increased renewable energy usage leads to decreased life cycle expenses for both CO2MV and CTMV. The BTMV method demonstrates superior performance in all evaluation criteria when renewable energy usage reaches its highest point. The framework enables organizations to make investment choices and develop decarbonization plans through its standardized evaluation system.