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Prospective Environmental Impacts of Passenger Cars under Different Energy and Steel Production Scenarios

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  • Michael Samsu Koroma

    (Electrotechnical Engineering and Energy Technology, MOBI Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
    Flanders Make, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium)

  • Nils Brown

    (Statistics Sweden, Solna Strandväg 86, SE-171 54 Solna, Sweden)

  • Giuseppe Cardellini

    (Electrotechnical Engineering and Energy Technology, MOBI Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
    Energyville-VITO, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium)

  • Maarten Messagie

    (Electrotechnical Engineering and Energy Technology, MOBI Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
    Flanders Make, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium)

Abstract

The potential environmental impacts of producing and using future electric vehicles (EVs) are important given their expected role in mitigating global climate change and local air pollutants. Recently, studies have begun assessing the effect of potential future changes in EVs supply chains on overall environmental performance. This study contributes by integrating expected changes in future energy, iron, and steel production in the life cycle assessment (LCA) of EVs. In this light, the study examines the impacts of changes in these parameters on producing and charging future EVs. Future battery electric vehicles (BEV) could have a 36–53% lower global warming potential (GWP) compared to current BEV. The change in source of electricity generation accounts for 89% of GWP reductions over the BEV’s life cycle. Thus, it presents the highest GWP reduction potential of 35–48%. The use of hydrogen for direct reduction of iron in steelmaking (HDR-I) is expected to reduce vehicle production GWP by 17% compared to current technology. By accounting for 9% of the life cycle GWP reductions, HDR-I has the second-highest reduction potential (1.3–4.8%). The results also show that the potential for energy efficiency improvement measures for GWP reduction in vehicle and battery manufacture would be more beneficial when applied now than in the distant future (2050), when the CO 2 intensity of the EU electricity is expected to be lower. Interestingly, under the same conditions, the high share of renewable energy in vehicle supply chains contributed to a decrease in all air pollution-related impact categories, but an increase in toxicity-related categories, as well as land use and water consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Samsu Koroma & Nils Brown & Giuseppe Cardellini & Maarten Messagie, 2020. "Prospective Environmental Impacts of Passenger Cars under Different Energy and Steel Production Scenarios," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:23:p:6236-:d:451797
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cox, Brian & Bauer, Christian & Mendoza Beltran, Angelica & van Vuuren, Detlef P. & Mutel, Christopher L., 2020. "Life cycle environmental and cost comparison of current and future passenger cars under different energy scenarios," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Peng, Tianduo & Ren, Lei & Ou, Xunmin, 2023. "Development and application of life-cycle energy consumption and carbon footprint analysis model for passenger vehicles in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    2. Laene Oliveira Soares & Augusto da Cunha Reis & Pedro Senna Vieira & Luis Hernández-Callejo & Ronney Arismel Mancebo Boloy, 2023. "Electric Vehicle Supply Chain Management: A Bibliometric and Systematic Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-26, February.
    3. Gustavo Pinto & Joaquim Monteiro & Andresa Baptista & Leonardo Ribeiro & José Leite, 2021. "Study of the Permeation Flowrate of an Innovative Way to Store Hydrogen in Vehicles," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, October.
    4. Konstantina Anastasiadou & Nikolaos Gavanas, 2022. "State-of-the-Art Review of the Key Factors Affecting Electric Vehicle Adoption by Consumers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-23, December.
    5. Marco Raugei, 2022. "Update on the Life-Cycle GHG Emissions of Passenger Vehicles: Literature Review and Harmonization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-13, September.
    6. van den Oever, A.E.M. & Costa, D. & Messagie, M., 2023. "Prospective life cycle assessment of alternatively fueled heavy-duty trucks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    7. Nenming Wang & Guwen Tang, 2022. "A Review on Environmental Efficiency Evaluation of New Energy Vehicles Using Life Cycle Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-35, March.
    8. Julian Grenz & Moritz Ostermann & Karoline Käsewieter & Felipe Cerdas & Thorsten Marten & Christoph Herrmann & Thomas Tröster, 2023. "Integrating Prospective LCA in the Development of Automotive Components," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-26, June.
    9. Moritz Ostermann & Julian Grenz & Marcel Triebus & Felipe Cerdas & Thorsten Marten & Thomas Tröster & Christoph Herrmann, 2023. "Integrating Prospective Scenarios in Life Cycle Engineering: Case Study of Lightweight Structures," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-24, April.

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