Life cycle assessment of battery electric buses. (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ager-Wick Ellingsen, Linda; Jayne Thorne, Rebecca; Wind, Julia; Figenbaum, Erik; Romare, Mia; Nordelöf, Anders
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 112(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: Battery electric bus -- Li-ion battery -- Life cycle assessment -- Inventory data -- Carbon footprint -- Environmental impact; AP Acidification potential -- BEBs Battery electric buses -- DoD Depth-of-discharge -- EIO Economic input-output -- EOL End-of-life -- FETP Freshwater ecotoxicity potential -- GHG Greenhouse gas -- GWP Global warming potential -- HVO Hydrotreated vegetable oil -- LCA Life cycle assessment -- LFP Lithium iron phosphate -- LMO Lithium manganese oxide -- LTO Lithium titanium oxide -- NMC Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide -- ODP Ozone depletion potential -- POFP Photochemical oxidant formation potential -- RDP Resource depletion potential -- WTW Well-to-wheel; Transportation -- Research -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 354.76
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2022.103498
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1361-9209

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: Different Li-ion battery technologies and sizes are used in battery electric buses (BEBs), but little is known about the environmental effect of various battery technology and sizing alternatives. In a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of seven BEBs, we consider three battery technologies combined with relevant pack sizes to evaluate the size and range effect. The environmental performance of the BEBs was assessed over the typical length of a bus tender of 10 years as well as an extended lifetime of 20 years. Across six environmental impact categories we found that the size and range effect depends to a large extent on the performance of the battery technology and that a smaller battery size of the same technology is not necessarily environmentally preferable. Furthermore, extending the BEB lifetime from 10 to 20 years changes the environmental performance as well as relative contributions to environmental impact potentials for the various BEB alternatives.