Life cycle assessment

of electric vehicles
Linda Ager-Wick Ellingsen
Anders Hammer Strømman

linda.e.llingsen@ntnu.no
 Life cycle assessment (LCA)

Energy Manufacture
& assembly Emissions
Materials Extraction &
Use
processing

Waste products
Transport Recycling

2
The ReCiPe characterization method

3
Life cycle assessment of vehicles
Complete life cycle
Vehicle life cycle

Vehicle production

• Extraction and processing

• Component manufacture
and assembly

Energy value chain Vehicle operation

Energy Energy Energy
• Energy use
extraction distribution conversion
• Maintenance

End-of-life vehicle

• Recycling/recovery
• Waste management
4
We have good knowledge of the environmental
impacts of conventional vehicles

5
 Example of typical LCA results:
Mercedes A class
Stressors
Impact potentials

6
DaimlerChrysler AG, Mercedes Car Group
 GHGs over the whole life cycle
- high end of the range as of 2010

References: Daimler AG (2009, 2009, 2012), Volkswagen AG (2010, 2012)

7
 GHGs over the whole life cycle
- low end of the range as of 2010

References: Daimler AG (2009, 2010, 2012,2013,2014), Volkswagen AG (2010, 2012,2013,2014)

8
 GHGs over the whole life cycle
- low end of the range as of 2014

References: Daimler AG (2009, 2010, 2012,2013,2014), Volkswagen AG (2010, 2012,2013,2014)

9
 Car size, fuel type, model year, and
horsepower matter

3x

References: Daimler AG (2009, 2010, 2012,2013,2014), Volkswagen AG (2010, 2012,2013,2014)

10
 Can electric vehicles get us below the
fossil envelope?

References: Daimler AG (2009, 2009, 2012,2013,2014), Volkswagen AG (2010, 2012,2013,2014)

11
Zero emission vehicle?

12
BEVs have indirect operational emissions
associated with the energy value chain

13
 NTNU’s latest LCA study on battery
electric vehicles published in 2016

14
Ellingsen et al. (2016)
 Size selection based on commercially
available BEVs
250
A - segment B - segment C - segment D - segment E - segment F - segment

200
NEDC energy requirement (Wh/km)

150

100

mini car medium car large car luxury car

50

0
800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200
Vehicle curb weight (kg)

15
Electric vehicle parameters

Segment Curb weight Battery size Driving range EV energy consumption

(kg) (kWh) (km) (Wh/km)

A - mini car 1100 17.7 133 146

C - medium car 1500 26.6 171 170
D - large car 1750 42.1 249 185
F - luxury car 2100 59.9 317 207

16
Production inventories

17
Use phase assumptions
• Average European electricity mix (521 g CO2/kWh at plug,
462 g CO2/kWh at plant)
• 12 years and a yearly mileage of 15,000 km, resulting
in a total mileage of 180,000 km

18
End-of-life treatment

19
Conventional vehicles
 Production and use phase
from LCA reports
 End-of-life inventory from
Hawkins et al. 2012

20
Results

21
 50
F
Fossil envelope
45
-average new ICEVs as
40 of 2015
D
35
C
30
Emission (ton CO2-eq)

A
25

20

15

10

Driving distance (km)

22
Ellingsen et al. 2016
 50
F
Fossil envelope
45
-average ICEVs
40
D
35
C
30
Emission (ton CO2-eq)

A
25

20

15

10

Driving distance (km)

A - mini car C - medium car D - large car F - luxury car 23

Ellingsen et al. 2016
Sensitivity analysis

24
 Sensitivity analysis - coal
World average coal
(1029 g CO2-eq/kWh)

25
Ellingsen et al. 2016
 Sensitivity analysis – natural gas
World average natural gas
(595 g CO2-eq/kWh)

26
Ellingsen et al. 2016
 Sensitivity analysis – wind
Wind
(21 g CO2-eq/kWh)

27
Ellingsen et al. 2016
 Sensitivity analysis – all wind
Wind in all value chains
(17 g CO2-eq/kWh)

28
Ellingsen et al. 2016
 Differences in emissions due to size
decrease with lower carbon intensity

29
Ellingsen et al. 2016
Questions?

linda.e.llingsen@ntnu.no
30
 NTNU Publications on e-mobility
October 2012 November 2013

May 2016

December 2016

Ellingsen. L. A-W., Hung, R. H., & Strømman, A. H. Identifying key assumptions and differences in life cycle assessment studies of lithium-ion
traction batteries (In review 2017). Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment.

Ellingsen. L. A-W., Majeau-Bettez, M., & Strømman, A. H. (2015). Comment on “The significance of Li-ion batteries in electric vehicle life-cycle
energy and emissions and recycling's role in its reduction” in Energy & Environmental Science. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

Singh, B., Ellingsen. L. A-W., & Strømman, A. H. (2015). Pathways for GHG emission reduction in Norwegian road transport sector: Perspective on
consumption of passenger car transport and electricity mix. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment.

Singh, B., Guest, G., Bright, R. M., & Strømman, A. H. (2014) Life Cycle Assessment of Electric and Fuel Cell Vehicle Transport Based on Forest
Biomass. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

Singh, B., & Strømman, A. H. (2013). Environmental assessment of electrification of road transport in Norway: Scenarios and impacts.
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment.

Hawkins, T. R., Gausen, O. M., & Strømman, A. H. (2012). Environmental impacts of hybrid and electric vehicles—a review. The International
Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.

Majeau-Bettez, M., Hawkings, T., & Strømman, A. H. (2011) Life Cycle Environmental Assessment of Lithium-ion and Nickel Metal Hydride 31
Batteries for Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles