Emissions of Conventional and Electric Vehicles: A Comparative Sustainability Assessment

Vehicle emissions, as a source of air pollution and greenhouse gases, have a significant impact on the environment and climate change. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have the potential to reduce air pollution and GHGs. However, BEVs often attract the criticism that their benefits are minimal as the power plant emissions compensate for emissions from the tailpipes of vehicles. This study compared two scenarios: scenario A considers all vehicles as internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), and scenario B considers all vehicles as BEVs. The study used the City of San Antonio, Texas, as the study area. The study also focused on the seasonal and spatial variation in ICEV emissions. The results indicate that scenario A has a considerably higher volume of emissions than scenario B. For ICEVs, PM2.5 emissions were up to 50% higher in rural areas than urban areas, but 45% lower for unrestricted versus restricted conditions. CO₂ emissions were highly affected by seasonal variations, with a 51% decrease from winter to summer. The full adoption of BEVs could reduce CO₂ and N₂O emissions by 99% and 58% per km, especially for natural gas power resources. Therefore, BEVs play a significant role in reducing emissions from the transportation sector.