Climate change is accelerating due to higher levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and concentrations. The transportation sector, as one of the main contributors to emissions, is highly dependent on internal-combustion-engine vehicles (ICEVs). Electric vehicles (EVs) have thus received prioritized political attention as their potentials to contribute to the decarbonization of transport. However, EVs’ battery production and end-of-life stage can increase more GHG emissions than ICEVs, which begs the question about their actual environmental impacts. Additionally, their relatively higher market price compared to ICEVs is an inevitable problem not only for governments in driving pro-environmental choices but also for the public. These two factors, GHG emissions and costs, are also closely linked to the three essential elements of sustainability i.e., ecology, society, and economy. In view of these, the Lifecycle Analysis method and Activity-Based GHG Emission method based on the Carbon Accounting principles were used in this study to quantitatively and qualitatively compare a battery electric vehicle (BEV) typical model, Nissan Leaf, with a relatively equivalent ICEV model, New Golf, in total costs to customers and GHG emissions in all phases, i.e., manufacturing, operation, and end-of-life stages.
Results/Conclusions
The study has demonstrated that EVs can be regarded as sustainable vehicles in terms of GHG emissions and costs. Nissan has almost half of the total GHG emissions relative to Golf in the complete lifecycle with a significant disparity in the operation stage, which accounts for the biggest chunk of New Golf’s emissions (81.6%). In terms of the total costs for consumers during the lifespan of the first-used battery, Nissan Leaf is roughly $13,600 less than New Golf despite its higher capital costs. The high upfront costs are offset by government grants, cheaper electricity charging prices, and lower maintenance fees. Nonetheless, the results are sensitive to other variables, including vehicle lifespan, system efficiency, electricity grid profiles, and battery toxicity, all of which should be considered collectively in decision-making processes by governments. Additionally, the Activity-Based GHG Emission method from the discipline of Accounting serves as a useful tool to help investigate the environmental impacts of social activities/products/services and quantify these impacts.
