Review and Meta-Analysis of EVs: Embodied Emissions and Environmental Breakeven

Kevin Joseph Dillman, Áróra Árnadóttir, Jukka Heinonen, Michał Czepkiewicz and Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir
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Kevin Joseph Dillman: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland
Áróra Árnadóttir: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland
Jukka Heinonen: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland
Michał Czepkiewicz: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland
Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 107 Reykjavík, Iceland

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-28

Abstract: Electric vehicles (EVs) are often considered a potential solution to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originating from personal transport vehicles, but this has also been questioned due to their high production emissions. In this study, we performed an extensive literature review of existing EV life-cycle assessments (LCAs) and a meta-analysis of the studies in the review, extracting life-cycle GHG emission data combined with a standardized methodology for estimating GHG electrical grid intensities across the European Economic Area (EEA), which were used to estimate a set of environmental breakeven points for each EEA country. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed to provide sensitivity analysis. The results of the review suggest a need for greater methodological and data transparency within EV LCA research. The meta-analysis found a subset of countries across the EEA where there is a potential that EVs could lead to greater life-cycle GHG emissions than a comparable diesel counterpart. A policy discussion highlights how EV policies in countries with contrasting GHG electric grid intensities may not reflect the current techno-environmental reality. This paper emphasizes the importance for researchers to accurately depict life-cycle vehicle emissions and the need for EEA countries to enact policies corresponding to their respective contextual conditions to avoid potentially enacting policies that could lead to greater GHG emissions.

Keywords: electric vehicles; meta-analysis; environmental breakeven; e-mobility; life cycle analysis; EV LCA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9390-:d:443450

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