Abstract:

As EVs gain momentum in the Indian market, the environmental performance of EVs have become a highly debated topic. While EVs are preferred for their on road reduced emissions, they involve usage of critical minerals that are highly energy intensive at the time of extraction and manufacturing. Additionally, the electricity used for charging the batteries have high share of thermal based generation. In India, the grid constitutes a major portion of coal-based electricity. If the environmental footprints of these factors are to be considered, envisaged benefits of EVs may not be as high as perceived. Hence, the overall environmental burden of EVs is most intricately linked to

1. The type of grid mix
2. Usage of critical minerals for battery and motor manufacturing

This study assesses the various environmental performance of EV’s and ICEV’s (petrol, diesel and CNG) across 18 mid-point impacts and 3 end-point impacts. This study thus aims to provide recommendations for best practices to reduce carbon footprint and improve resource efficiency of the materials used in EV components (motors and batteries).

Under the Nationally Determined Contributions-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) India Component of the regional programme, the study “Comparative Analysis of Electric Vehicles and Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles from Resource Efficiency perspective” was initiated by GIZ India and carried out by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI).