Study finds that GHG-reduction potential of electric vehicles is underestimated

Wed 03 July 2019 View all news

New research from Eindhoven University says that the greenhouse gas emission reduction potential of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is underestimated in the scientific literature. It says that over the life cycle of BEVs, there is a tendency to overestimate battery manufacturing-related emissions, underestimate battery durability and not to allow for the rapid decarbonisation of the electricity mix over the lifetime of the vehicle.
 
In an example calculation, BEVs reduce emissions from 244 to 98 g/km. In a fully renewable system, the paper says, BEV emission could decrease to 10 g/km.
 
The report says that BEVs are becoming cheaper than conventional cars and that current technology could already electrify over 70% of transport energy demand and lead to a large reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
 
It says that BEVs also lower the system costs of a fully renewable system if the moment of charging is optimally chosen (“smart charging”), especially when combined with bidirectional charging. 
 
The LowCVP-facilitated EV Energy Taskforce is looking at how the electricity system should prepare for mass take-up of EVs and includes how the opportunities for electric vehicles to provide services to support the grid (through managed charging, vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-home etc) can be maximised. For more information see the LowCVP's EVET web pages.  

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