Comparative Economic and Environmental Analysis of Vehicles

Overview of Vehicle Types

• Conventional Vehicles: Utilizes internal combustion engines, primarily running on gasoline or diesel.
• Hybrid Vehicles: Combine conventional engines with electric propulsion, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and emissions.
• Electric Vehicles (EV): Run entirely on electric power, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing greenhouse gases (GHG) when powered by renewable energy.

Importance of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

• Significant potential to reduce petroleum dependency and emissions related to road transport, which accounts for a large share of GHG emissions in the EU.
• EU has prioritized alternative fuel technologies to combat rising GHG emissions and oil consumption, with substantial investment dedicated to electric vehicle technology.

Comparison of Vehicles in Greece

• Analysis includes production and utilization stages; compares three vehicle types currently available in Greece:
• Toyota Yaris (Conventional)
• Toyota Prius (Hybrid)
• Citroen C-Zero (Electric)
• Comparison focuses on economic and environmental metrics, including lifecycle GHG emissions and air pollution output.

Lifecycle Analysis and Environmental Impact

• Stage Consideration:
• Production: Involves raw material extraction and manufacturing. Significant energy required, especially for battery production.
• Utilization: Energy source for EVs is critical; emissions vary significantly based on electricity generation mix.
• Key Findings:
• In a low-carbon electricity scenario, EVs show drastically lower air pollution (5.76% of emissions) compared to conventional vehicles (61.4%).
• The environmental advantages of EVs increase with cleaner energy input.

Electricity Generation Scenarios

• Scenario A: Low carbon electricity, emissions lowest (~36 g CO2/kWh).
• Scenario B: Medium carbon, more fossil fuel reliance (~428 g CO2/kWh).
• Scenario C: High carbon, primarily from coal (820 g CO2/kWh).
• Results indicate that the source of electricity greatly affects the competitiveness of electric vehicles.

Market Penetration of EVs in Greece

• Growth impacted by economic conditions; suffered a dramatic drop in 2010 due to economic crisis.
• Projected scenarios until 2025 estimate varying levels of hybrid and electric vehicle market shares ranging from 2% (Conservative) to 42% (Optimistic).
• Conservative: Assumes minimal subsidies and a moderate increase in oil prices.
• Realistic: Considers supportive policy measures and recovery from economic downturn.
• Optimistic: Envisions strict climate policies, enhanced infrastructure, and broader acceptance of electric mobility.

Economic Analysis

• Evaluates vehicle costs, fuel costs, and driving range per vehicle type.
• Normalized Indicators:
• Electric vehicles typically have high initial costs, but lower fuel and maintenance expenses over time.
• Hybrid and electric vehicles often show lower GHG emissions compared to conventional vehicles across all scenarios, especially under cleaner electricity production conditions.

Conclusions

• The study affirms that both hybrid and electric vehicles are crucial for reducing urban transport emissions.
• Further development is necessary to improve EV efficiency and reduce costs.
• Recommendations call for stronger policies and incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles, alongside investments in related infrastructure to support widespread adoption.