Energetic, environmental and economic performance of electric vehicles: Experimental evaluation. (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Muneer, Tariq; Milligan, Ross; Smith, Ian; Doyle, Aisling; Pozuelo, Miguel; Knez, Matjaz
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 35(2015)
• Page Start: 40
• Page End: 61
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: Sustainable transport -- Electric vehicles -- Carbon emissions; Transportation -- Research -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 354.76
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2014.11.015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1361-9209

Abstract

Highlights: Link between the increase in human population and CO2 emissions. EV reduce CO2 emissions and move towards a more sustainable future. Switching present fleet to EV may achieve a reduction of 97% in CO2 emissions. Abstract: Fuelled by a rapidly rising human global population, an increasing demand for freedom to travel and the affordability made possible by modern manufacturing there has been an exponential rise in the number of automobiles – in the year 2013 there were in excess of a billion automobiles in use! Three factors that are of serious concern are the consequential energetic, environmental and economic impacts. One solution that is being seen by a number of national governments is the advent (or rather re-introduction) of electric vehicles (EVs). However, one of the key factors that will need to be explored will be the source of the required electricity for the EVs that will define the level of their sustainability. In this article an experimental evaluation of an electric vehicle has been undertaken. The Renault Zoe e-car has been used for this task with the 'car chasing' technique employed to measure the driving cycle. The speed and energy use were recorded for the vehicle that was driven along the principal arteries of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. In a separate activity vehicle driving tests were also undertaken in one town in Slovenia (Celje). In both places urban and suburban routes were covered for different times of the day. Results are presented to quantify the energetic, environmental and economic performance indices for the driven vehicle. A discussion is also provided on the potential for reduction of carbon emissions from the transport sector by provision of environmentally-friendly means of generating electricity.