End‐of‐Life Infrastructure Economics for “Clean Vehicles” in the United States

Jane E. Boon, Jacqueline A. Isaacs and Surendra M. Gupta

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2003, vol. 7, issue 1, 25-45

Abstract: Rising fuel prices and concern over emissions are prompting automakers and legislators to introduce and evaluate “clean vehicles” throughout the United States. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are now on the roads, electric vehicles (EVs) have been test marketed, and niche vehicles such as high‐fuel‐economy microcars are being considered for introduction. As these vehicles proliferate and mature, they will eventually reach their end of life (EOL). In the United States, an extensive recycling infrastructure exists for conventional, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Its primary constituents are the disassembler and the shredder. These industries, as well as battery recyclers, are expected to play integral roles in the EOL processing of clean vehicles. A model of the automobile‐recycling infrastructure and goal programming techniques are used to assess the materials streams and process profitabilities for several different clean vehicles. Two‐seat EVs with lead‐acid or NiMH batteries are compared with two‐ and four‐seat HEVs and microcars. Changes to the nonferrous content in the vehicle bodies are explored and compared for the effect on processing profit‐ability. Despite limitations associated with the linearity of goal programming techniques, application of this tool can still provide informative first‐order results. Results indicate that although these clean vehicles may not garner the same profit levels as conventional ICE vehicles, they are profitable to process if there are markets for parts and if there are sufficient quantities of nonferrous materials.

Date: 2003
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