How to green Electric Vehicles

Using life-cycle assessment methodology, this paper quantifies the carbon footprint of Electric Vehicles (EV) as compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). Thereby, the focus is put on important determinants of vehicle usage, such as lifetime mileage and driving pattern, and quantifies their influence on the relative environmental performance of EVs and ICEVs over the whole lifecycle today. This is contrasted with the influence of variability in the end-of-life and energy production stage of the vehicle, over which the user has only limited control. Based on the findings, some conclusions on policy measures are deducted.