Well-to-wheel analysis of greenhouse gas emissions for electric vehicles based on electricity generation mix: A global perspective

In the transport sector, electric vehicles (EVs) are widely accepted as the next technology paradigm, capable of solving the environmental problems associated with internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). However, EVs also have environmental impacts that are directly related to the country's electricity generation mix. In countries without an environmentally friendly electricity generation mix, EVs may not be effective in lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this study, we analyzed the extent to which the GHG emissions associated with EVs differs among 70 countries in the world, in relation to their domestic electricity generation mix. Then, we compared the results with the GHG emissions from the ICEVs. Countries with a high percentage of fossil fuels in their electricity generation mix showed high GHG emissions for EVs, and for some of these countries, EVs were associated with more GHG emissions than ICEVs. For these countries, policies based on the positive environmental impact of EVs may have to be reconsidered. In addition, different policies may need to be considered for different vehicle types (compact car, SUV, etc.), because the ability of EVs to reduce GHG emissions compared to that of ICEVs varies by vehicle type. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.