Study of the environmental impacts of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) in the context of optimal sizing and use

Kurzfassung

As we shift towards sustainability, electrifying road transportation is essential for mitigating climate change. Despite global and EU initiatives promoting this shift, a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts of electrified vehicles is still lacking. The production of batteries, a critical yet ecologically challenging stage, underscores the need for a holistic approach. Employing Life Cycle assessment (LCA) allows us to gauge the full environmental consequences from production to disposal, ensuring that our transition to electrified vehicles aligns with broader sustainability objectives. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), which utilize electric power for short distances and gasoline for extended trips, offer a viable solution for sustainable transportation. This research aims to explore their environmental impact and global implications. This PhD project aims to optimize the component sizing of PHEVs by combining LCA with analyses of battery aging, using detailed model-based usage scenarios to minimize environmental impacts. The methodology involves simulating model-based daily driving distances, recharge patterns, and battery temperatures to predict battery degradation through a multi-mechanism aging model and an electro- thermal coupling equation. A comprehensive LCA model of the PHEV covers the entire vehicle lifecycle, from production to end-of- ife, including the examination of e-fuels. A global sensitivity analysis follows, applying the conditioned variance method to pinpoint crucial parameters that significantly influence the study’s outcomes, focusing on various environmental impact categories and highlighting the importance of integrating battery aging in LCA assessments. This analysis further emphasizes the need for careful battery sizing to mitigate diverse environmental effects, beyond just Global Warming Potential (GWP), but also considering Human Toxicity Potential (HTP), and others. A detailed parametric study is performed for optimally sizing the components of the PHEV for a scenario in France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, to minimize the environmental impacts. The findings indicated that the ideal configuration for these components varies significantly depending on the country due to differences in local energy conditions and climate. Comparative assessments among PHEVs, Electric Vehicles, Hybrid Electric Vehicles, and Conventional Vehicles highlight significant regional differences, affirming that well-optimized PHEVs, in conjunction with EVs, are vital for achieving transport sustainability.