Abstract:

Zero emission transport is a more environmentally friendly solution for reducing CO2 emission and air pollutants emissions in the vehicle operations. With global warming and recent bans on diesel in automobiles, the need for vehicles driven by renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions is growing. Among the various forms of non-fossil energy for vehicles, hydrogen fuel is emerging as a promising way to combat global warming. To date, most studies on vehicle carbon emissions have focused on diesel and electric vehicles (EVs). Emission assessment methodologies are usually developed for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), non-durable household goods such as packaged foods, beverages, and toiletries instead of vehicle products. There is an increase in the number of articles addressing the product carbon footprint (PCF) of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the recent years, while relatively little research focuses on both vehicle PCF and fuel cycle. Zero-emission vehicles initiative has also brought the importance of investigating the emission throughout the fuel cycle of hydrogen fuel cell and its environmental impact. To address these gaps, this study uses the life-cycle assessment (LCA) process of GREET (greenhouse gases, regulated emissions, and energy use in transportation) to compare the PCF of an EV (Tesla Model 3) and a hydrogen fuel cell car (Toyota MIRAI). According to the GREET results, the fuel cycle greatly impacts both vehicles' PCF. The findings also highlight the need for increased transparency in sharing essential information on PCF methodologies adopted by vehicle manufacturers so that emissions from their vehicles may be compared.