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Life Cycle Assessment of Electric Vehicle Batteries: An Overview of Recent Literature

Author

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  • Andrea Temporelli

    (Ricerca Sistema Energetico—RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy)

  • Maria Leonor Carvalho

    (Ricerca Sistema Energetico—RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy)

  • Pierpaolo Girardi

    (Ricerca Sistema Energetico—RSE SpA, 20134 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

In electric and hybrid vehicles Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), batteries play a central role and are in the spotlight of scientific community and public opinion. Automotive batteries constitute, together with the powertrain, the main differences between electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles. For this reason, many decision makers and researchers wondered whether energy and environmental impacts from batteries production, can exceed the benefits generated during the vehicle’s use phase. In this framework, the purpose of the present literature review is to understand how large and variable the main impacts are due to automotive batteries’ life cycle, with particular attention to climate change impacts, and to support researchers with some methodological suggestions in the field of automotive batteries’ LCA. The results show that there is high variability in environmental impact assessment; CO 2 eq emissions per kWh of battery capacity range from 50 to 313 g CO 2 eq/kWh. Nevertheless, either using the lower or upper bounds of this range, electric vehicles result less carbon-intensive in their life cycle than corresponding diesel or petrol vehicles.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Temporelli & Maria Leonor Carvalho & Pierpaolo Girardi, 2020. "Life Cycle Assessment of Electric Vehicle Batteries: An Overview of Recent Literature," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:11:p:2864-:d:367415
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Christos S. Ioakimidis & Alberto Murillo-Marrodán & Ali Bagheri & Dimitrios Thomas & Konstantinos N. Genikomsakis, 2019. "Life Cycle Assessment of a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Electric Vehicle Battery in Second Life Application Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Peters, Jens F. & Baumann, Manuel & Zimmermann, Benedikt & Braun, Jessica & Weil, Marcel, 2017. "The environmental impact of Li-Ion batteries and the role of key parameters – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 491-506.
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    2. Christian Aichberger & Gerfried Jungmeier, 2020. "Environmental Life Cycle Impacts of Automotive Batteries Based on a Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-27, December.
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    6. Picatoste, Aitor & Justel, Daniel & Mendoza, Joan Manuel F., 2022. "Circularity and life cycle environmental impact assessment of batteries for electric vehicles: Industrial challenges, best practices and research guidelines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
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    14. Justus Poschmann & Vanessa Bach & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2023. "Decarbonization Potentials for Automotive Supply Chains: Emission-Intensity Pathways of Carbon-Intensive Hotspots of Battery Electric Vehicles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
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    18. Nora Schelte & Semih Severengiz & Jaron Schünemann & Sebastian Finke & Oskar Bauer & Matthias Metzen, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment on Electric Moped Scooter Sharing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-20, July.
    19. Christian Ulrich & Mario Feinauer & Katharina Bieber & Stephan A. Schmid & Horst E. Friedrich, 2023. "Life Cycle Analysis of an On-the-Road Modular Vehicle Concept," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-16, June.
    20. Maria Leonor Carvalho & Andrea Temporelli & Pierpaolo Girardi, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of Stationary Storage Systems within the Italian Electric Network," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-19, April.
    21. Elżbieta Broniewicz & Karolina Dec, 2022. "Environmental Impact of Demolishing a Steel Structure Design for Disassembly," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-16, October.
    22. Buberger, Johannes & Kersten, Anton & Kuder, Manuel & Eckerle, Richard & Weyh, Thomas & Thiringer, Torbjörn, 2022. "Total CO2-equivalent life-cycle emissions from commercially available passenger cars," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).

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