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Life Cycle Assessment of Electric Vehicle Batteries: An Overview of Recent Literature

Author

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  • Andrea Temporelli

    (Ricerca Sistema Energetico—RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy)

  • Maria Leonor Carvalho

    (Ricerca Sistema Energetico—RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy)

  • Pierpaolo Girardi

    (Ricerca Sistema Energetico—RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

In electric and hybrid vehicles Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), batteries play a central role and are in the spotlight of scientific community and public opinion. Automotive batteries constitute, together with the powertrain, the main differences between electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles. For this reason, many decision makers and researchers wondered whether energy and environmental impacts from batteries production, can exceed the benefits generated during the vehicle’s use phase. In this framework, the purpose of the present literature review is to understand how large and variable the main impacts are due to automotive batteries’ life cycle, with particular attention to climate change impacts, and to support researchers with some methodological suggestions in the field of automotive batteries’ LCA. The results show that there is high variability in environmental impact assessment; CO 2 eq emissions per kWh of battery capacity range from 50 to 313 g CO 2 eq/kWh. Nevertheless, either using the lower or upper bounds of this range, electric vehicles result less carbon-intensive in their life cycle than corresponding diesel or petrol vehicles.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Temporelli & Maria Leonor Carvalho & Pierpaolo Girardi, 2020. "Life Cycle Assessment of Electric Vehicle Batteries: An Overview of Recent Literature," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:11:p:2864-:d:367415
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Yongtao Liu & Chunmei Zhang & Zhuo Hao & Xu Cai & Chuanpan Liu & Jianzhang Zhang & Shu Wang & Yisong Chen, 2023. "Study on the Life Cycle Assessment of Automotive Power Batteries Considering Multi-Cycle Utilization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-24, September.
    3. Kouridis, Ch & Vlachokostas, Ch, 2022. "Towards decarbonizing road transport: Environmental and social benefit of vehicle fleet electrification in urban areas of Greece," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
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    10. Buberger, Johannes & Kersten, Anton & Kuder, Manuel & Eckerle, Richard & Weyh, Thomas & Thiringer, Torbjörn, 2022. "Total CO2-equivalent life-cycle emissions from commercially available passenger cars," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    11. Mattia Rapa & Laura Gobbi & Roberto Ruggieri, 2020. "Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Electric Vehicles: Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing Evaluation of Electricity Sources," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, November.
    12. Zehong Li & Zhenhua Sun & Wenbiao Zhang & Shaopeng Li, 2023. "Environmental Impact of the Recycling of Ni-Co-Containing Saggars—A LCA Case Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, April.
    13. Maria Leonor Carvalho & Giulio Mela & Andrea Temporelli & Elisabetta Brivio & Pierpaolo Girardi, 2022. "Sodium-Ion Batteries with Ti 1 Al 1 TiC 1.85 MXene as Negative Electrode: Life Cycle Assessment and Life Critical Resource Use Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, May.
    14. Picatoste, Aitor & Justel, Daniel & Mendoza, Joan Manuel F., 2022. "Circularity and life cycle environmental impact assessment of batteries for electric vehicles: Industrial challenges, best practices and research guidelines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    15. Phillip K. Agbesi & Rico Ruffino & Marko Hakovirta, 2023. "The development of sustainable electric vehicle business ecosystems," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(8), pages 1-59, August.
    16. Reiko Takahashi & Koji Negishi & Hideki Noda & Mami Mizutani, 2023. "Estimating the Dominant Life Phase Concerning the Effects of Battery Degradation on CO 2 Emissions by Repetitive Cycle Applications: Case Study of an Industrial Battery System Installed in an Electric," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1, February.
    17. Jacek Pielecha & Kinga Skobiej & Przemyslaw Kubiak & Marek Wozniak & Krzysztof Siczek, 2022. "Exhaust Emissions from Plug-in and HEV Vehicles in Type-Approval Tests and Real Driving Cycles," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-38, March.
    18. Nora Schelte & Semih Severengiz & Jaron Schünemann & Sebastian Finke & Oskar Bauer & Matthias Metzen, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment on Electric Moped Scooter Sharing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-20, July.
    19. Christian Ulrich & Mario Feinauer & Katharina Bieber & Stephan A. Schmid & Horst E. Friedrich, 2023. "Life Cycle Analysis of an On-the-Road Modular Vehicle Concept," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-16, June.
    20. Maria Leonor Carvalho & Andrea Temporelli & Pierpaolo Girardi, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of Stationary Storage Systems within the Italian Electric Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-19, April.
    21. Elżbieta Broniewicz & Karolina Dec, 2022. "Environmental Impact of Demolishing a Steel Structure Design for Disassembly," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-16, October.

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