ROME – For the CO2 emissions produced throughout the life cycle of vehicles, there are no substantial differences between electric cars powered by batteries, fuel cells or engines that burn hydrogen. This is revealed by a study carried out by Iav, a German engineering company that presented the results of the research at the Vienna Motor Symposium.
The analysts looked at the assumed CO2 footprint of three vehicle classes (medium SUV, light commercial vehicle, and heavy commercial vehicle) for the year 2030. For each vehicle class, the researchers looked at the CO2 equivalents that would be expected. obtained with the use of an exclusively electric battery drive, a fuel cell and a hydrogen combustion engine. The calculations were carried out according to a “tank-to-wheel, well-to-wheel” and life cycle (Lca) approach. For the latter, the complete cycle of a vehicle was analyzed, i.e. from the extraction of the raw material through the logistics chain, production, assembly and use, up to recycling.
For the study, the researchers used GaBi, the leading life cycle assessment software in the automotive sector, and used data from the German Federal Environment Agency (Uba). “With all three driving variants examined, the CO2 footprint in the transport sector could be significantly reduced in 2030 with a consistent LCA – explained Marc Sens, head of studies and Iav department – Depending on the vehicle class. examined, a fuel cell drive vehicle is as climate friendly as a purely battery electric vehicle, and thus a useful addition to the fleet mix ”.
Furthermore, even with the use of a hydrogen combustion engine, CO2 emissions could be significantly reduced in all vehicle classes. However, due to the lower efficiency level, the technology barely loses the savings potential compared to the fuel cell engine examined. “Since the hydrogen combustion engine is significantly more robust than the fuel cell – added Sens – and can also be brought to series production relatively quickly, it is more than just a bridge technology. And this applies to both cars and commercial vehicles ”. Fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines are also convincing in terms of overall cost and, based on the production method and location, are competitive with purely battery-electric units.
The potential of the three propulsion technologies becomes particularly clear when they are considered in the context of the current CO2 legislation where new cars registered in the EU cannot exceed 95 g CO2 / km. A calculation based on the tank-to-wheel perspective that excludes key sources of CO2 such as raw material extraction, production and recycling. The study, on the other hand, shows that, using battery and hydrogen electric propulsion and production and recycling processes as neutral as possible as CO2 emissions, it could even reach a value of just over 70 g CO2 / km in the car sector for the entire life cycle. (m, r.)
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