A comprehensive life-cycle assessment (LCA) recently examined the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from passenger cars, including SUVs, with a specific focus on Cars Medium Size. This in-depth analysis, conducted separately for Europe, the United States, China, and India – markets representing about 70% of global new car sales – highlights the variations in environmental impact across different regions. The study meticulously considered current and projected future GHG emissions at every stage of a vehicle’s life, from raw material extraction to manufacturing, operation, and end-of-life processes like recycling or disposal for both vehicles and the fuels they use.
Going beyond previous research, this study is unique in its global perspective and methodological rigor. It evaluated all relevant powertrain types, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and a wide array of fuel options like biofuels, electrofuels, hydrogen, and electricity. A key aspect was the comparison of life-cycle GHG emissions for cars registered in 2021 versus projections for 2030. Furthermore, this research distinguishes itself from earlier LCA studies in several crucial ways:
- It accounts for the lifetime average carbon intensity of fuel and electricity mixes, incorporating biofuels and biogas, and projects changes in carbon intensity throughout the vehicle’s lifespan based on stated policies.
- Real-world fuel and electricity consumption data were used instead of relying solely on official test values, which is particularly critical for accurately assessing PHEV emissions.
- The study utilized recent data on industrial-scale battery production and considered regional battery supply chains, leading to significantly lower battery production emissions estimates than previous studies.
- It incorporates the near-term global warming potential of methane leakage from natural gas and natural gas-derived hydrogen pathways, acknowledging methane’s disproportionate contribution to global warming in the initial 20 years after emission.
The findings of this study clearly indicate that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) already have the lowest life-cycle GHG emissions, even for cars registered today. For cars medium size, specifically, the lifetime emissions of BEVs registered today are significantly lower than comparable gasoline cars. In Europe, this reduction ranges from 66% to 69%, in the United States from 60% to 68%, in China from 37% to 45%, and in India from 19% to 34%. Looking ahead to 2030, as electricity grids continue to become less carbon-intensive, the gap in life-cycle emissions between BEVs and gasoline vehicles, particularly for cars medium size, is expected to widen substantially.
These results underscore the environmental benefits of transitioning to battery electric cars medium size. As technology advances and electricity production becomes cleaner, the advantage of BEVs in reducing GHG emissions over their entire life cycle will only become more pronounced, making them a crucial component in mitigating climate change within the automotive sector.
This paper was updated on November 11, 2022, to correct electricity mix values for certain countries in the European country-specific sensitivity in Figure 3.5.
Attachments
Global-LCA-passenger-cars-FS-EN-jul2021.pdf
Global-LCA-passenger-cars-FS-DE-jul2021.pdf
Global-LCA-passenger-cars-PR-jul2021.pdf
