Life Cycle Assessment of Urban Electric Bus: An Application in Italy

Paola Cristina Brambilla and Pierpaolo Girardi ()
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Paola Cristina Brambilla: RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy
Pierpaolo Girardi: RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-33

Abstract: European energy and climate policies have enabled reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across many sectors, with transport standing out as an exception. In this area, one of the most promising solutions is the electrification of vehicles. In urban contexts, the shift towards electrifying transport—particularly local public transport (LPT)—can yield significant benefits, especially when paired with an increasingly decarbonized electricity mix, effectively reducing tailpipe emissions of both greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Nevertheless, it is essential to assess whether eliminating tailpipe emissions simply shifts environmental impacts to other stages of a vehicle’s life cycle. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), employing a comprehensive cradle-to-grave approach, serves as the principal tool for such evaluations. In this framework, this study focuses on the Italian situation by using a dynamic LCA for the electricity mix. Results show that the electric bus reduces the impact on climate change (28.5 gCO 2 eq/pkm vs. 66.7 gCO 2 eq/pkm for Diesel, −57%), acidification, photochemical ozone formation, particulate matter, and the use of fossil resources. However, it presents higher impacts in terms of human toxicity (both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) and the use of mineral and metal resources, mainly due to battery production and the use of metals such gold, silver, and copper.

Keywords: Life Cycle Assessment; electric bus; sustainable transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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