20 Electric and Hybrid Vehicles 1.8.2 p olluTion c omparison The transportation accounts for about one-third of all energy usage, making it the leading cause of environmental pollution through carbon emissions. The transportation sector includes vehicles that transport people or goods, such as cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, trains, aircraft, boats, barges and ships. From the pie chart in Figure 1.10a, we can see that 28% of energy usage in the United States is in the transportation sector [12].
It has been projected that if 10% of automobiles nation- wide were ZEVs, regulated air pollutants would be cut by 1 million tons per year and 60 million tons of greenhouse carbon dioxide gas would be eliminated [13]. With 100% electrification, i.e., every ICEV replaced by EV, the following has been claimed: • Carbon dioxide in air, which is linked to global warming, would be cut in half. • Nitrogen oxides (a greenhouse gas causing global warming) would be cut slightly depend- ing on government regulated utility emission standards. • Sulfur dioxide, which is linked to acid rain, would increase slightly. • Waste oil dumping would decrease, since EVs do not require crankcase oil.
• EVs reduce noise pollution since they are quieter than ICEVs. • Thermal pollution by large power plants would increase with increased EV usage. The EVs will considerably reduce the major causes of smog, substantially eliminate ozone depletion and reduce greenhouse gases. With stricter SO 2 power plant emission standards, EVs would have little impact on SO 2 levels. Pollution reduction is the driving force behind EV usage. Pollution can be cut drastically when EV batteries are charged from electricity produced from renewable sources.
The energy sources for electricity generation in 2019 are shown in the pie chart of Figure 1.10b [12], which shows that a significant percent of electricity is still being produced through non-renewable sources. In 2019, 7% of electricity generation has come from hydropower, 7% from wind and 4% from other renewable sources. On the other hand, 39% of electricity came from natural gas, while 24% was produced from coal and 20% from nuclear fuel. For reference, the total U.S. electricity generation in 2019 has been 100.2 quadrillion BTUs.
1.8.3 c apiTal and o peraTing c osT c omparison The initial EV capital costs are higher than ICEV capital cost primarily due to the expensive battery- packs and lack of mass production opportunities. The power electronics stages are also expensive, although not at the same level as batteries. EV capital costs are expected to decrease as the volume increases. Capital costs of EVs easily exceed capital costs of ICEVs, but the EV costs are expected to decrease as the volume increases. Total life cycle cost of an EV is projected to be less than that of a comparable ICEV.
The EVs are more reliable and will require less maintenance making it favor- able over ICEV as far as the operating cost is concerned. 1.8.4 us d ependence on f oreign o il The importance of search for alternative energy sources cannot be overemphasized, and sooner or later there will be an energy crisis if we, the people of the planet, do not reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Today’s industries, particularly the transportation industry, are heavily dependent on oil, the reserve of which will eventually deplete in the not-so-distant future. An average ICEV in its lifetime uses 94 barrels of oil based on 28 miles/gallon fuel consumption.
On the other hand, an average EV uses about two barrels of oil in its lifetime based on 4 miles/kWh and the percentage of oil used in the EV process for electricity generation.