Well-to-Wheels for Light-Duty Vehicle Powertrains by Segments in Isolated Systems

Alfredo J. Ramírez-Díaz, Francisco Ramos-Real and Josue Barrera-Santana
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Alfredo J. Ramírez-Díaz: Department of Computer Sciences and System Engineering, Universidad de La Laguna, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Josue Barrera-Santana: Centro de Estudios de Desigualdad Social y Gobernanza (CEDESOG), Universidad de La Laguna, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-25

Abstract: The transportation sector has the highest energy demand worldwide and bears the primary responsibility for CO 2 emissions. Electromobility has emerged as the most feasible way to alleviate this problem. However, its potential depends heavily on the development of renewable energies. Island regions raise additional barriers to electromobility due to their heavy dependence on fossil fuels. This article addresses this challenge by presenting a comprehensive well-to-wheel framework to assess the levels of efficiency and CO 2 emissions of electromobility options such as battery and plug-in electric vehicles (BEVs and PHEVs). The results were compared with those for internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). The framework proposed takes account of various factors including the extraction, refining, and transport of oil, different segments of land vehicles, and electricity system operations. The framework is demonstrated with a case study of the Spanish Canary archipelago. The results show that BEVs improve efficiency and CO 2 emissions by around 30% compared to ICEVs on islands where the share of renewable energies is higher than 21%. In contrast, limited renewable generation may lead to BEVs polluting up to 15% more than ICEVs. PHEVs should be considered as a suitable alternative if the share of renewable generation is higher than 35%.

Keywords: well-to-wheels; island regions; electric vehicles; hybrid vehicles; renewable energies; energy transition; light-duty vehicles; greenhouse gases; isolated power systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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