The IEA technology collaboration program on hybrid and electric vehicles (HEV-TCP) is aimed to tap the large potential of electric vehicles (EV) to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions from road traffic. In pursuit of the goal, in 2016 Austria and JOANNEUM RESEARCH initiated IEA HEV Task 30 'environmental effects of electric vehicles' which performes environmental evaluations of electric vehicles. As is internationally accepted, the only method for the assessment of the environmental advantage of electric vehicles is life cycle analysis (LCA). General research objectives are the development and harmonisation of the method, the validation of the databases, and the communication of the results to stakeholders in management, economics and research.
In Task 30 four expert workshops will be organized to follow the latest international developments, to improve the methods for environmental reviews using LCA, and to discuss and disseminate. The following workshop topics are proposed:
1. Effects of EVs on water (emissions into the water, waste water, 'Water footprint' by EVs) - Austria 2017 (already held);
2. Effects of EVs on air (local emissions of PM, NOx and CxHy, impacts on human health, non-energy-related emissions from tires and brakes) - Germany 2018;
3. Effects of EVs on land use - resources - waste (land use, demand for renewable and fossil resources, recycling) - USA, 2019; and
4. Overall environmental impact of EVs and its evaluation (comparison and evaluation of different impact categories, single-score methods, involvement of stakeholders) - Spain, 2020
The developed harmonized method of life cycle analysis and the validated data base will result in the country-by-country environmental impacts of the global electric vehicle fleet (currently about 1.5 million electric vehicles) The results will be distributed using IEA bodies (E.g. ExCo, OA meetings) and media (website, annual reports), as well as relevant events and publications.
The results will also help the Austrian industry and government to support further development and employment of EVs in all transport modes.
Currently five countries participate in Task 30: AT, CA, DE, ES, and US.