Understanding Life-Cycle Greenhouse-Gas Emissions of Shared Electric Micro-Mobility: A Systematic Review

Carlos Calan, Natalia Sobrino () and Jose Manuel Vassallo
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Carlos Calan: Transport Research Centre-TRANSyT, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Natalia Sobrino: Transport Research Centre-TRANSyT, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Jose Manuel Vassallo: Transport Research Centre-TRANSyT, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: In recent years, the implementation of shared electric micro-mobility services (SEMMS) enables short rentals of light electric vehicles for short-distance travel. The fast expansion of SEMMS worldwide, promoted as a green mobility service, has raised a debate about its role in urban mobility, especially in terms of environmental impacts such as climate change. This article presents a systematic review of the current knowledge on the environmental impacts of SEMMS, with a special focus on the use of life-cycle assessment (LCA) methods. The study offers a detailed analysis of the global warming potential of SEMMS and its critical phases. It is found that shared e-scooters have the greatest greenhouse-gas emissions during their life cycle, while emissions from shared e-mopeds and shared e-bikes tend to be lower. The literature reveals that the materials and manufacturing phase is the most important one for the environmental impact of shared e-scooters, followed by the daily collection of vehicles for charging. The article also identifies influential factors in the sensitivity analysis and the potential for net-impact reduction accounted for mode substitution. Finally, the article identifies further research areas aimed at contributing to the adoption of environmentally responsible practices in the rapidly expanding field of shared services in cities.

Keywords: shared electric micromobility; life-cycle assessment; systematic literature review; sustainable transport; global warming potential (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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