Alternative Vehicle Power Sources: Towards a Life Cycle Inventory 2000-01-1478
Three alternatives to internal combustion vehicles currently being researched, developed, and commercialized are electric, hybrid electric, and fuel-cell vehicles. A total life-cycle inventory for an alternative vehicle must include factors such as the impacts of car body materials, tires, and paints. However, these issues are shared with gasoline-powered vehicles; the most significant difference between these vehicles is the power source. This paper focuses on the most distinct and challenging aspect of alternative-fuel vehicles, the power sources. The life-cycle impacts of battery systems for electric and hybrid vehicles are assessed. Less data is publicly available on the fuel cell; however, we offer a preliminary discussion of the environmental issues unique to fuel cells. For each of these alternative vehicles, a primary environmental hurdle is the consumption of materials specific to the power sources.
Citation: Lankey, R., McMichael, F., MacLean, H., and Lave, L., "Alternative Vehicle Power Sources: Towards a Life Cycle Inventory," SAE Technical Paper 2000-01-1478, 2000, https://doi.org/10.4271/2000-01-1478. Download Citation
Author(s):
Rebecca Lankey, Francis McMichael, Heather MacLean, Lester Lave
Affiliated:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Carnegie Mellon Univ.
Pages: 15
Event:
Total Life Cycle Conference and Exposition
ISSN:
0148-7191
e-ISSN:
2688-3627
Related Topics:
Fuel cells
Total life cycle management
Environmental protection
Batteries
Logistics
Combustion and combustion processes
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