As an important trend in the automotive industry, electrification of propulsion systems has a potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation sector. Whereas electric vehicles do not produce exhaust emissions during driving, the impact of electricity provision for charging the batteries as well as the impact of vehicle production play an essential role in a holistic consideration of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, user profiles including charging behavior and driving patterns significantly influence the total energy consumption of both hybrid and battery-electric cars. The article introduces a comprehensive evaluation of greenhouse gas emission-related factors of different propulsion systems. The investigations comprise cars driven by combustion engine, hybrid powertrain and battery-electric propulsion. Based on holistic life-cycle assessment, the research considers the entire product life-cycle, starting with vehicle production followed by the car’s use phase under consideration of different electricity mixes and user patterns, and the end-of-life phase. The results of the study allow a detailed discussion of different powertrain technologies and the different influencing factors on the life-cycle-related carbon footprint.

Graz University of Technology: Mario Hirz, Helmut Brunner, Thu Trang Nguyen