The Potential of Light Electric Vehicles for Climate Protection through Substitution for Passenger Car Trips - Germany as a Case Study

Kurzfassung

Light electric vehicles can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing large and heavy vehicles. Emissions decrease for replacement of passenger cars with any type of propulsion, albeit to different extents. In order to quantify the theoretical potential of emission reduction, this study models a scenario in 2030, in which a major modal shift away from trips with full-sized passenger cars to LEVs has taken place. This analysis assumes today’s patterns of mobility are maintained, but using full sized cars only for those few trips which are very long or include many occupants. The work employs Germany as a case study for potential savings, given the national importance of cars as both a means of mobility and an economic sector. Statistical data from a representative national survey serves as the basis for analysing which car trips can be substituted with LEVs. We use the characteristics of vehicles (e.g. speed, range, number of seats) and trips (e.g. distance) to determine which trips may be conducted in LEVs, and thus derive a total for substitutable car kilometers. Together with an assessment of greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle kilometer for both LEVs and the replaced vehicles (considering production via life cycle analyses and energy for vehicle use), a theoretical, calculative potential of greenhouse gas emissions savings is derived for Germany. The analysis shows that up to 50 % of car mileage could be replaced with LEVs which corresponds to up to 44 % savings of greenhouse gas emissions.