Abstract:

The use of electric vehicles (EVs) has gained significant potential due to the decrease in fossil fuel reserves and environmental drawbacks of internal combustion engine (ICE) propelled vehicles. Examples include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). EVs have zero in-use emissions, but well-to-wheel emissions need to be considered for a realistic carbon footprint effect. In countries with limited renewable energy sources, such as Kuwait and other GCC countries, the benefits of EVs decrease. This study analyzes CO2 emissions for two passenger segment vehicles with different prime movers: ICE and electric motor (EM). Longitudinal vehicle models were developed using MATLAB/Simulink software, and the generated CO2 emissions were compared using the Kuwait DC driving cycle. The results showed that BEVs generated fewer CO2 emissions nearly half of what ICE propelled vehicles generated.