IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i22p9849-d1519038.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Review of Economic, Technical and Environmental Aspects of Electric Vehicles

Author

Listed:
  • Marcin Koniak

    (Faculty of Transport, Warsaw University of Technology, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warszawa, Poland)

  • Piotr Jaskowski

    (Faculty of Transport, Warsaw University of Technology, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warszawa, Poland)

  • Krzysztof Tomczuk

    (Department of Fundamentals of Engineering and Energy Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska Str. 164, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) have seen significant advancements and mainstream adoption, prompting in-depth analysis of their economic, technical, and environmental impacts. Economically, while EVs offer lower operational costs than internal combustion engine vehicles, challenges remain, particularly for urban users reliant on public charging stations and the potential implementation of new road taxes to offset declining fuel tax revenues. Technically, electric motors in EVs have fewer moving parts, but battery management and cybersecurity complexities pose new risks. Transitioning from Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) to Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) batteries reflects efforts to enhance thermal stability and mitigate fire hazards. Environmentally, lithium extraction for batteries has profound ecological impacts, including for water consumption and pollution. Battery production and the carbon footprint of the entire lifecycle remain pressing concerns, with battery recycling and second-life applications as crucial mitigation strategies. Smart integration of EVs with the energy infrastructure introduces challenges like grid stability and opportunities, such as smart, intelligent, innovative charging solutions and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Future research should develop economic models to forecast long-term impacts, advance battery technology, enhance cybersecurity, and conduct comprehensive environmental assessments to optimise the benefits of electromobility, addressing the multidimensional challenges and opportunities presented by EVs.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcin Koniak & Piotr Jaskowski & Krzysztof Tomczuk, 2024. "Review of Economic, Technical and Environmental Aspects of Electric Vehicles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-21, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:9849-:d:1519038
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/22/9849/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/22/9849/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Oluwagbenga Apata & Pitshou N. Bokoro & Gulshan Sharma, 2023. "The Risks and Challenges of Electric Vehicle Integration into Smart Cities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-25, July.
    2. Gavin Harper & Roberto Sommerville & Emma Kendrick & Laura Driscoll & Peter Slater & Rustam Stolkin & Allan Walton & Paul Christensen & Oliver Heidrich & Simon Lambert & Andrew Abbott & Karl Ryder & L, 2019. "Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles," Nature, Nature, vol. 575(7781), pages 75-86, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guido Busca, 2024. "Critical Aspects of Energetic Transition Technologies and the Roles of Materials Chemistry and Engineering," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-32, July.
    2. Gu, Xubo & Bai, Hanyu & Cui, Xiaofan & Zhu, Juner & Zhuang, Weichao & Li, Zhaojian & Hu, Xiaosong & Song, Ziyou, 2024. "Challenges and opportunities for second-life batteries: Key technologies and economy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    3. Gutsch, Moritz & Leker, Jens, 2024. "Costs, carbon footprint, and environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries – From cathode active material synthesis to cell manufacturing and recycling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 353(PB).
    4. Kılkış, Şiir & Ulpiani, Giulia & Vetters, Nadja, 2024. "Visions for climate neutrality and opportunities for co-learning in European cities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    5. Guanjun Ji & Di Tang & Junxiong Wang & Zheng Liang & Haocheng Ji & Jun Ma & Zhaofeng Zhuang & Song Liu & Guangmin Zhou & Hui-Ming Cheng, 2024. "Sustainable upcycling of mixed spent cathodes to a high-voltage polyanionic cathode material," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Shahjalal, Mohammad & Roy, Probir Kumar & Shams, Tamanna & Fly, Ashley & Chowdhury, Jahedul Islam & Ahmed, Md. Rishad & Liu, Kailong, 2022. "A review on second-life of Li-ion batteries: prospects, challenges, and issues," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    7. Wang, Mengmeng & Liu, Kang & Dutta, Shanta & Alessi, Daniel S. & Rinklebe, Jörg & Ok, Yong Sik & Tsang, Daniel C.W., 2022. "Recycling of lithium iron phosphate batteries: Status, technologies, challenges, and prospects," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    8. Fatmawati Fatmawati & Nuryanti Mustari & Haerana Haerana & Risma Niswaty & Abdillah Abdillah, 2022. "Waste Bank Policy Implementation through Collaborative Approach: Comparative Study—Makassar and Bantaeng, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Andrzej Pacana & Dominika Siwiec & Robert Ulewicz & Malgorzata Ulewicz, 2024. "A Novelty Model Employing the Quality Life Cycle Assessment (QLCA) Indicator and Frameworks for Selecting Qualitative and Environmental Aspects for Sustainable Product Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, September.
    10. Ma, Tian & Zhang, Qi & Tang, Yanyan & Liu, Boyu & Li, Yan & Wang, Lu, 2024. "A review on the industrial chain of recycling critical metals from electric vehicle batteries: Current status, challenges, and policy recommendations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    11. Hongxia Chen & Jeongsoo Yu & Xiaoyue Liu, 2022. "Development Strategies and Policy Trends of the Next-Generation Vehicles Battery: Focusing on the International Comparison of China, Japan and South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-12, September.
    12. Costa, C.M. & Barbosa, J.C. & Castro, H. & Gonçalves, R. & Lanceros-Méndez, S., 2021. "Electric vehicles: To what extent are environmentally friendly and cost effective? – Comparative study by european countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    13. Yongyou Nie & Yuhan Wang & Lu Li & Haolan Liao, 2023. "Literature Review on Power Battery Echelon Reuse and Recycling from a Circular Economy Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-28, February.
    14. Arjun K. Thapa & Abhinav C. Nouduri & Mohammed Mohiuddin & Hari Prasad Reddy Kannapu & Lihui Bai & Hui Wang & Mahendra K. Sunkara, 2024. "Recycling and Reuse of Mn-Based Spinel Electrode from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-13, August.
    15. Golmohammadzadeh, Rabeeh & Faraji, Fariborz & Jong, Brian & Pozo-Gonzalo, Cristina & Banerjee, Parama Chakraborty, 2022. "Current challenges and future opportunities toward recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    16. Nguyen-Tien, Viet & Dai, Qiang & Harper, Gavin D.J. & Anderson, Paul A. & Elliott, Robert J.R., 2022. "Optimising the geospatial configuration of a future lithium ion battery recycling industry in the transition to electric vehicles and a circular economy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    17. Erick C. Jones, 2024. "Lithium Supply Chain Optimization: A Global Analysis of Critical Minerals for Batteries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-31, May.
    18. Zhaosheng Zhang & Shuo Wang & Ni Lin & Zhenpo Wang & Peng Liu, 2023. "State of Health Estimation of Lithium-Ion Batteries in Electric Vehicles Based on Regional Capacity and LGBM," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, January.
    19. Xingxing Wang & Yujie Zhang & Hongjun Ni & Shuaishuai Lv & Fubao Zhang & Yu Zhu & Yinnan Yuan & Yelin Deng, 2022. "Influence of Different Ambient Temperatures on the Discharge Performance of Square Ternary Lithium-Ion Batteries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-22, July.
    20. Zhang, Xiaojing & Chang, Hsu-Ling & Su, Chi-Wei & Qin, Meng & Umar, Muhammad, 2024. "Exploring the dynamic interaction between geopolitical risks and lithium prices: A time-varying analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:9849-:d:1519038. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.