Water Issues and Electric Vehicles - Key Aspects and Examples in Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract

There is international consensus that the improvement of the sustainability of electric vehicles can only be analyzed on the basis of life cycle assessment (LCA), which includes the production, operation, and the end-of-life treatment of the vehicles and the fuel cycle, and in comparison to conventional vehicles. In recent years the focus in environmental assessments of electric vehicles was on GHG emissions and primary energy consumption, but now it is recognized that also water issues become relevant in LCA. Therefore the Task 30 “Environmental Effects of EVs” (2016 – 2020) in the International Energy Agency (IEA) focuses on water issues in LCA covering methodology, data requirements, case studies, to identify the main water issues in LCA of EVs and ICE, the hot spots on water issues of EVs, PHEVs and ICEs and to develop communication strategies of LCA results to stakeholders. The main findings addressed are 1) main drivers, 2) water inventory, 3) most relevant water issues for LCA of EV and ICE, 4) Water footprint, 5) Water issues in electricity production, 6) Water issues in value chain of EVs and ICE, 7) Research questions on water issues & EVs and possible activities of IEA HEV Task 30