Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy Perspective

Against the backdrop of the global goal of “carbon neutrality”, the advancement of electric vehicles (EVs) holds substantial importance for diminishing the reliance on fossil fuels, mitigating vehicular emissions, and fostering the transition of the automotive sector towards a sustainable, low-carbo...

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Main Authors: Ruiqi Feng, Wei Guo, Chenjie Zhang, Yuxuan Nie, Jiajing Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Batteries
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/1/23
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author Ruiqi Feng
Wei Guo
Chenjie Zhang
Yuxuan Nie
Jiajing Li
author_facet Ruiqi Feng
Wei Guo
Chenjie Zhang
Yuxuan Nie
Jiajing Li
author_sort Ruiqi Feng
collection DOAJ
description Against the backdrop of the global goal of “carbon neutrality”, the advancement of electric vehicles (EVs) holds substantial importance for diminishing the reliance on fossil fuels, mitigating vehicular emissions, and fostering the transition of the automotive sector towards a sustainable, low-carbon paradigm. The wide application of electric vehicles not only reduces the dependence on non-renewable resources such as oil, but also concurrently effectuates a substantial reduction in carbon emissions within the transportation sector. In the realm of electric vehicles, ternary lithium batteries (NCM) and lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP) are two widely used batteries. This study examines the resource utilization and environmental repercussions associated with the production of 1 kW ternary lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries, employing a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. The importance of clean energy in reducing environmental pollution and global warming potential is revealed by introducing five different power generation types and the regional power generation structure in China into the power battery production process. The findings of the investigation indicate that lithium iron phosphate batteries exhibit pronounced superiority in terms of environmental sustainability, while ternary lithium batteries are more advantageous in terms of performance. The mitigation of environmental pollution associated with battery production can be significantly achieved by the holistic integration of clean energy sources and the systematic optimization of manufacturing processes. Specific interventions encompass enhancing the energy efficiency of the production process, incorporating renewable energy sources for power generation, and minimizing the utilization of hazardous materials. By implementing these strategies, the battery sector can advance towards a more environmentally benign and sustainable trajectory.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2313-0105
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
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series Batteries
spelling doaj-art-ea1ccac4dd674488b0718be8e41e24d02025-01-24T13:22:26ZengMDPI AGBatteries2313-01052025-01-011112310.3390/batteries11010023Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy PerspectiveRuiqi Feng0Wei Guo1Chenjie Zhang2Yuxuan Nie3Jiajing Li4Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Automotive Components, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Automotive Components, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Automotive Components, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Automotive Components, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaHubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Automotive Components, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaAgainst the backdrop of the global goal of “carbon neutrality”, the advancement of electric vehicles (EVs) holds substantial importance for diminishing the reliance on fossil fuels, mitigating vehicular emissions, and fostering the transition of the automotive sector towards a sustainable, low-carbon paradigm. The wide application of electric vehicles not only reduces the dependence on non-renewable resources such as oil, but also concurrently effectuates a substantial reduction in carbon emissions within the transportation sector. In the realm of electric vehicles, ternary lithium batteries (NCM) and lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP) are two widely used batteries. This study examines the resource utilization and environmental repercussions associated with the production of 1 kW ternary lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries, employing a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. The importance of clean energy in reducing environmental pollution and global warming potential is revealed by introducing five different power generation types and the regional power generation structure in China into the power battery production process. The findings of the investigation indicate that lithium iron phosphate batteries exhibit pronounced superiority in terms of environmental sustainability, while ternary lithium batteries are more advantageous in terms of performance. The mitigation of environmental pollution associated with battery production can be significantly achieved by the holistic integration of clean energy sources and the systematic optimization of manufacturing processes. Specific interventions encompass enhancing the energy efficiency of the production process, incorporating renewable energy sources for power generation, and minimizing the utilization of hazardous materials. By implementing these strategies, the battery sector can advance towards a more environmentally benign and sustainable trajectory.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/1/23electric vehicleslithium batteriesenvironmental influencelife cycle assessmentcarbon neutrality
spellingShingle Ruiqi Feng
Wei Guo
Chenjie Zhang
Yuxuan Nie
Jiajing Li
Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy Perspective
Batteries
electric vehicles
lithium batteries
environmental influence
life cycle assessment
carbon neutrality
title Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy Perspective
title_full Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy Perspective
title_fullStr Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy Perspective
title_short Comparative Study on Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicle Batteries from a Regional and Energy Perspective
title_sort comparative study on environmental impact of electric vehicle batteries from a regional and energy perspective
topic electric vehicles
lithium batteries
environmental influence
life cycle assessment
carbon neutrality
url https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/1/23
work_keys_str_mv AT ruiqifeng comparativestudyonenvironmentalimpactofelectricvehiclebatteriesfromaregionalandenergyperspective
AT weiguo comparativestudyonenvironmentalimpactofelectricvehiclebatteriesfromaregionalandenergyperspective
AT chenjiezhang comparativestudyonenvironmentalimpactofelectricvehiclebatteriesfromaregionalandenergyperspective
AT yuxuannie comparativestudyonenvironmentalimpactofelectricvehiclebatteriesfromaregionalandenergyperspective
AT jiajingli comparativestudyonenvironmentalimpactofelectricvehiclebatteriesfromaregionalandenergyperspective