Comparison of Electric and Traditional Vehicles

Comparison of Electric and Traditional Vehicles

Most people worry about the debate over whether or not electric automobiles are the lesser of two evils compared to conventional diesel and gasoline cars. Decarbonizing the transportation industry and improving air quality in densely populated metropolitan areas are two goals that stand to benefit significantly from the current shift toward electric vehicles, especially electric automobiles for private use in industrialized countries. In the following, I will dissect a study that used the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to investigate and demonstrate the environmental and societal effects of both electric and conventional vehicles. All aspects of the article will be analyzed, and a recommendation and conclusion will be drawn from the data.

Purpose of Study

To determine the negative externalities of atmospheric air pollution caused by private electric, diesel, and  gasoline vehicles used for urban commuting, Girardi, Brambilla, and Mela (2020) conducted a life cycle review.

In order to calculate the full scope of the externalized costs, the study’s authors divided the possible consequences of the life cycle across different regions. The authors utilized a life cycle analysis to weigh the pros and cons of switching from ICEVs to EVs from an environmental perspective. Research shows it is feasible to incorporate a damage element into the physical inventory management process.

Methodology

The information was gathered by contrasting three different types of vehicles: electric, gasoline, and diesel. The most convenient option is a medium vehicle that offers all three variants. Volkswagen Golf served as the vehicle of choice here.

To learn about vehicle life cycle assessment, one of the many things that needed to be done was to perform a comprehensive LCA on a mid-size car fueled by gasoline, diesel, and electricity. In order to make an objective comparison between the three different types, their performance and comfort levels had to be identical.

Step two involved centralizing each process in the life cycle to a specific location. As a result, it was necessary to provide a geographic context on the Life Cycle Assessment’s many functions and sub-processes, as well as the outcomes of the LCA with respect to the region’s environmental impact. The third phase involved revising and specifying the causes of damage. The NEEDS project provided the most up-to-date and thorough analysis of the exterior cost of energy carriers, upon which this work was conducted. Step four involved using damage factors on some life Cycle Inventory findings. The last step was to evaluate the three vehicles in terms of their total external emissions costs over their lifetime.

Life Cycle Assessment Summary and Analysis

By conducting a “life cycle assessment,” one can enhance resource utilization and reduce the number of legal responsibilities they are responsible by determining how a product affects the environment throughout its entire useful life (Matthews, Hendrickson & Matthews, 2014). To learn about vehicle life cycle assessment, one of the many things that needed to be done was to perform a comprehensive LCA on a mid-size car fueled by gasoline, diesel, and electricity. This needed to be done to guarantee that all three variants could be compared objectively. As a result, each of the variants is necessary to reach the same level of success while maintaining the same level of convenience.

Step two involved regionalizing both lifeqcycle procedures. This step entailed assigning spatial references to each of the activities and sub-processes included in the Life Cycle Assessment, as well as the outcomes of the Life Cycle Assessment in terms of their ecological effect on the area. The next step was to revise and specify the impact factors. This step was accomplished using the most contemporary and extensive study on the exterior cost of energy carriers, which was supplied by the NEEDS project. Applying damage factors to chosen Life Cycle Inventory values was the fourth stage. The final step was comparing the life cycle external emissions costs for the three types of automobiles.

Goal

In this study, an diesel, a  electric, and a gasoline-powered mid-size automobile were evaluated for city driving. Regionalization of the life cycle's potential effects was necessary to calculate the external expenses. The research that used the methodology mentioned above was conducted in Italy.

Function and Functional Unit

There is a one-to-one connection between the number of miles traveled and the level of service offered by either automobile. Because of the criteria presented before, the number of kilometers that were traveled during the investigation is of primary importance functionally. The researchers selected a functional unit of one thousand kilometers for this specific research.

Product System Boundaries and Assumptions

In this particular study, the life cycle perspective that was utilized was the cradle-to-grave approach. Cradle-to-grave is a phrase used to indicate a full analysis of a product’s impact on the environment, beginning with the “cradle” stage of the product’s production and concluding with the “grave” part of the product disposal process. Several considerations need to be given priority to make the study confined enough to be easily managed. It was a natural choice for the author to utilize the Volkswagen Golf as an example of the most popular mid-size vehicle accessible on the market because it was offered in three different types: electric, diesel, and gasoline.

The authors considered the total energy carry supply chain, from creating fundamental energy sources to maintaining roadways. This included both the positive and negative aspects of the system. Other contributors were the production of automobiles and battery and their disposal.

In this study, it was assumed that there was an equivalent request for various kinds of automobiles. However, in reality, there was a restricted range of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the region where the study was conducted, which acted as a hindrance to adopting electric vehicles. Another premise was that all aspects of the vehicle’s lifecycle, including its use, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning, would take place in Italy. While the batteries would be produced in South Korea, the automobile would be constructed and the battery pack assembled in Germany.

Data Sources and Inventory

The Ecoinvent v3 database, allotted at the time of substitution, was utilized for the historical data, as stated by Girardi, Brambilla, and Mela (2020). The best and most accurate Life Cycle Inventory for the vehicle required the use of innovations, procedures, and energy carriers indicative of the study’s geographic region. Because the parameters mentioned above change considerably from one location to another, this was the case as the car moved. One example that may be utilized is that the precise air emissions related to energy consumption substantially rely on the energy combination used and, as a result, the location of the process. This is why the initial eco-invent datasets were adjusted not just for vehicle weight but also for the location of production of the parts. For instance, the energy mixture used in German automobiles and battery construction may differ from that used in South Korean Lo-ion cells. The study uses up-to-date, trustworthy data to cover as much ground as feasible.

Life Cycle Impact Assessment

The authors considered solely external expenses associated with air pollution as the sole effect category. However, the exact impact category covered climate change and implications on human health. In terms of human health, the impacts ranged from chronic mortality to newborn mortality to acute mortality and morbidity. Different factors, such as population density and weather patterns, cause the consequences to be different everywhere. Because the study aimed to aid policymakers and decision-makers in interpreting and identifying trade-offs, only a single indicator was used in the life cycle effect evaluation.

Recommendation

If I were in a position of power, I would push for the widespread production of electric cars. Driving an electric car has disadvantages, such as polluting freshwater habitats and emitting sulfur dioxide into the environment. However, the damage done by conventional cars (those powered by gasoline or diesel) to the environment and people is much greater than that of EVs.

Conclusion

Considering air pollution and climate change, the study found that the electric version of the average mid-size automobile produced the fewest external expenses compared to regular internal combustion vehicles. Furthermore, when the total cost of an electric car’s emissions is considered, the vehicle has a more negligible overall environmental impact.

References

Girardi, P., Brambilla, C., & Mela, G. (2020). Life Cycle Air Emissions External Costs Assessment for Comparing Electric and Traditional Passenger Cars. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 16(1), 140–150. 

Matthews, H.S., Hendrickson, C. T. & Matthews, D. H. (2014). Life Cycle Assessment: Quantitative Approaches for decisions that Matter. Open access textbook, retrieved from http://www.lcatextbook.com/