A practical assessment of the environmental impact of internal combustion and electric engines

Abstract

This thesis investigates the environmental impacts of ICEVs and BEVs with a comparative LCA in the context of the low carbon energy system in Finland. This paper aimed to give a more realistic, data-based comparison of EV sustainability performance in terms of emission, energy consumption, materials usage, and eco-disposal at end of life. A cradle-to-grave LCA methodology was conducted according to ISO 14040/44, which included electricity mix, vehicle models, and recycling specific parameters. Secondary data from literature sources, industrial reports and national databases was employed to model environmental performance for four indicators: greenhouse gas emissions, cumulative energy demand, critical raw material consumption and non-recyclable waste. The results showed that BEVs result in 56% lower lifecycle GHG emissions relative to ICEVs, mostly due to the renewable saturated electricity grid of Finland, and the higher operational efficiency of the electric drivetrains. BEVs likewise account for 15% less lifecycle total energy requirement. But they use more critical raw materials – lithium, cobalt and nickel – and produce 49% higher amounts of non-recyclable waste, revealing new sustainability challenges in raw material extraction and at end-of-life. The study results suggest that pollution reduction of particle mass of BEVs is more pronounced in comprehensive environmental performance than in emission amount, and that pollution is transferred upstream to manufacturing and downstream to the complicated waste streams. Hence, sustainable vehicle electrification relies on increasing the service life of the battery, developed recycling infrastructure, and use of less resource-demanding battery chemistries.