Abstract:

This work presents a comparative study between battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) from different European countries, focusing on two relevant issues: economic viability and ecological impact. It is shown that in the European Countries, the economical payback is much variable. In other countries, the economic payback can vary between travelled distances of about 2500 km (Portugal) and 335 000 km (Czech Republic). The environmental benefit is reached after relatively low travelled distances, between 30 000 km (Norway) and 190 000 km (Poland), is more evenly distributed when compared to the economic payback. It also shows how economic and environmental benefits depend on mobility profiles, improved for longer travel distance profiles. It was concluded that reducing the price of the EVs is necessary to make them more competitive in the automotive market. Further, it is essential to combine economic and environmental benefits by adopting policies within the European Union to reach a more uniform reality among the different countries, with more leveled prices and revenues (incentives, fees, and taxes).