Effect of regional grid mix, driving patterns and climate on the comparative carbon footprint of gasoline and plug-in electric vehicles in the United States
We compare life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from several light-duty passenger gasoline and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) across US counties by accounting for regional differences due to marginal grid mix, ambient temperature, patterns of vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and driving conditions (city versus highway). We find that PEVs can have larger or smaller carbon footprints than gasoline vehicles, depending on these regional factors and the specific vehicle models being compared. The Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicle has a smaller carbon footprint than the most efficient gasoline vehicle (the Toyota Prius) in the urban counties of California, Texas and Florida, whereas the Prius has a smaller carbon footprint in the Midwest and the South. The Leaf is lower emitting than the Mazda 3 conventional gasoline vehicle in most urban counties, but the Mazda 3 is lower emitting in rural Midwest counties. The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicle has a larger carbon footprint than the Prius throughout the continental US, though the Volt has a smaller carbon footprint than the Mazda 3 in many urban counties. Regional grid mix, temperature, driving conditions, and vehicle model all have substantial implications for identifying which technology has the lowest carbon footprint, whereas regional patterns of VMT have a much smaller effect. Given the variation in relative GHG implications, it is unlikely that blunt policy instruments that favor specific technology categories can ensure emission reductions universally.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 324 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 129 Baker Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 129 Baker Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 119 Porter Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 129 Baker Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 324 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 129 Baker Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Recommended Citation:
Tugce Yuksel,Mili-Ann M Tamayao,Chris Hendrickson,et al. Effect of regional grid mix, driving patterns and climate on the comparative carbon footprint of gasoline and plug-in electric vehicles in the United States[J]. Environmental Research Letters,2016-01-01,11(4)