New Energy Vehicles: Environmental Impact Evaluation System Research (June 2012 / Clean Transportation Program / CHINESE)

New Energy Vehicles have the potential to produce significant environmental benefits when compared to conventional internal combustion vehicles. However, due to China’s relatively dirty sources of electrical power production, when examining NEVs from a lifecycle perspective, they simply aren’t that clean. Furthermore, the batteries used in electric vehicles carry their own environmental impact due to the intensive nature of their industrial production. This report analyses information from both Chinese and global sources, and using iCET’s Environmentally Friendly Vehicle rating system methodology as a basis, incorporates the lifecycle environmental impact of electric vehicles. Using the Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius as examples, the full lifecycle environmental impacts of a pure electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid vehicle are evaluated. In the context of the fast development of NEVs in China, taking a lifecycle assessment approach to the environmental impact of vehicles offers a scientific means of understanding the contribution this industry will make to energy efficiency and emission reduction.