Abstract:

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV), hybrid vehicles (non-plug-in or plug-in), and battery electric vehicles (BEV), fueled with biofuels or recharged with electricity from Brazilian or European matrix, including recharging losses. The study shows that calculated GHG emissions for hybrid vehicles using biofuels are lower than observed for BEVs even in Brazil, where the carbon intensity of the electricity matrix is low compared to most countries. This study also demonstrated that a BEV produces fewer emissions than a non-hybrid traditional internal combustion car that burns biomethane. Additionally, it was shown that using hybrid vehicles and Brazilian biofuels leads in longer distances travelled per kilogramme of greenhouse gas produced than using a battery electric vehicle (BEV).

The carbon footprint reduction for metallic batteries in future scenarios was considered in the sensitivity analysis, which shows that biofuels still remain a better option. In order to achieve the sustainable goal of carbon net zero emissions by 2050, hybrid vehicles powered by biofuels are thought to be a more cost-effective and practical alternative to battery electric vehicles. The authors expect that these results will help guide public strategies for transport decarbonization.