Task Overview

Austria initiated a new task on the “Environmental Impacts of the Global Electric Vehicle Fleet” that was developed with partners from Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany and USA.

The aim is to evaluate the annual and cumulated environmental impacts of the rapidly growing global electric vehicle fleet stock – battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) since 2010 up to now.

The considered environmental aspects are:

• Greenhouse gas emissions.
• Climate neutrality potential.
• Cumulated (primary) energy demand.
• Circularity potential.
• (Non-)Circular (critical) mass.

A harmonised lifecycle assessment methodology for vehicle fleets will be developed and an environmental Data Hub on global electric vehicles and electricity supply will be established for a transparent publication on an interactive webpage.

This new task creates added value and new insights by combining existing activities, data and methodologies:

• The fleet approach analysing millions of electric vehicles in various countries since 2010 (not focusing on single vehicle types in selected countries).
• The “EV-Fleet LCA Tool” (Figure 1)
  • Asses the annual impacts of the Global EV-fleet.
  • Develops existing automotive life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies (e.g. ISO, UNECE, GREET, TranSensus LCA) to a new application for vehicle fleets.
  • Combines the existing statistical vehicle and energy data (e.g. EVI/IEA Global EV data, GFEI activities) and time-series and global/region/country specific LCA data (e.g. GREET, EV TCP tasks, ICCT, JRC).

Figure 1: “EV-Fleet LCA Tool” will be developed and operated

This is a unique approach based on long years and high level LCA experience in EV TCP and will involve the relevant global stakeholders. This task intends to reach an international outreach to strengthen global role of IEA EV TCP.

Objective of Task and Working Method

Task 55 creates added value and new insights combining existing activities, data and methodologies:

• Fleet approach analysing millions of electric vehicles in various countries since 2010 (not focusing on single vehicle types in selected countries).
• The “EV-Fleet LCA Tool”
  • Asses the annual impacts of the Global EV-fleet.
  • Develops existing automotive LCA methodologies (e.g. ISO, UNECE, GREET, TranSensus LCA) to new applications for vehicle fleets.
  • Combines existing statistical vehicle and energy data (e.g. EVI/IEA Global EV data, GFEI activities) and time-series and global/region/country specific LCA data (e.g. GREET, EV TCP tasks, ICCT, JRC).
• Unique approach
  • Based on long years & high level LCA experience in EV TCP.
  • Inclusion of global relevant stakeholders.
  • Realisation of a harmonized approach (methodology and data).
  • Addressing Climate Neutrality and Circularity.
  • Fully transparent and public available EV data hub on the environment.
  • International outreach to strengthen global role of IEA EV TCP.

The five areas of the task activities are:

1. LCA methodology for vehicle fleets – development and description

• • Goal and scope
  • Vehicle fleet definition
  • System boundaries (incl. conventional reference ICE vehicles)
  • Functional unit
  • Allocation
  • Inventory analyses
  • Impact assessment

2. Data collection and assumptions

• • • Statistical data
    • Vehicles
    • Electricity generation
    • Grid and charging infrastructure
    • Others
    • LCA data
    • Foreground data
    • Background data: GREET (as far as possible), IEA.
    • Assumptions

3. LCA calculations and interpretation

• Tool development
• Inventory analyses
  • primary/cumulated energy demand
  • Circularity Potential
  • (non-)circular mass (incl. critical and renewable raw materials)
• Impact assessment
  • GHG emissions
  • Climate Neutrality Potential
  • others (tbd)
• Interpretation

4. Dissemination and stakeholder involvement

• • Stakeholder involvement
  • IEA headquarter
  • Workshops/webinars: 1 in-person in Austria
  • Other TCPs
  • Interactive webpage with results
  • Development
  • Update
  • Dissemination
  • Annual report
  • Webpage
  • Newsletter
  • Presentations

5.Task/project management

• • Stakeholder involvement
  • IEA headquarter
  • Workshops/webinars: 1 in-person in Austria
  • Other TCPs
  • Interactive webpage with results
  • Development
  • Update
  • Dissemination
  • Annual report
  • Webpage
  • Newsletter
  • Presentations