Life cycle environmental impacts of the electric vehicles in China: an extensive literature review

China is the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market, possessing 4.5 million EVs in 2020, far ahead of the second-place country - the U.S., with 1.7 million EVs in the same period (Silver, 2021). This is because the government promotes EVs as the future of urban mobility due to its low emission characteristic (Iea.org, 2020). However, some researchers argue, that if considering the production and disposal of the vehicles and EV batteries, the life cycle environmental impacts of EVs can be much bigger and EVs may not be as ‘clean’ as most people have thought (Yu, et al., 2018). This is especially true for China, where the electricity generation is still highly relying on high polluting coal-fired plants, landfilling is used for EV and battery disposal that generate enamours negative environmental impacts, the resources for battery production are not secured, and so on (Eguchi, et al., 2020, Song, et al., 2016, Liu, et al., 2020). It is urgent for now to study how to mitigate or...Show moreChina is the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market, possessing 4.5 million EVs in 2020, far ahead of the second-place country - the U.S., with 1.7 million EVs in the same period (Silver, 2021). This is because the government promotes EVs as the future of urban mobility due to its low emission characteristic (Iea.org, 2020). However, some researchers argue, that if considering the production and disposal of the vehicles and EV batteries, the life cycle environmental impacts of EVs can be much bigger and EVs may not be as ‘clean’ as most people have thought (Yu, et al., 2018). This is especially true for China, where the electricity generation is still highly relying on high polluting coal-fired plants, landfilling is used for EV and battery disposal that generate enamours negative environmental impacts, the resources for battery production are not secured, and so on (Eguchi, et al., 2020, Song, et al., 2016, Liu, et al., 2020). It is urgent for now to study how to mitigate or solve these environment impacts. Through an extensive literature review, this research has identified the key factors influencing the life cycle environmental impacts of EVs in China. The key findings are summarized as following. At the production stage, most of the environmental impacts are caused by the EV barratries production, including reduces the resource security as it requires a large amount of cobalt, lithium, coal, and such. These resources are non-renewable and some of the extraction rate is very low (Liu, et al., 2020, Zeng, wt al., 2015); it also generates air and water pollution since the electricity to support EV production in China is mainly generated from coal-fired plants (Eguchi, et al., 2020). At the utilization stage, there is normally no direct impact to the environment, but the electricity output efficiency in China is very low, meaning more coal are required and more pollution would be generated to support the EV charging (Jiang, 2019); also, thermal hazard may happen occasionally under abusive condition, for example, in car crashing (Ouyang, et al., 2019). At the end-of-life stage, landfilling is the most common method to dispose EVs and EV batteries in China. Reduces resource security as it make valuable materials on EV uncoverable, generate heavy metal pollution, and reduce food security as landfilling disfunction the agricultural land (Costa, et al., 2021, Song, et al., 2016, Zeng, II et al., 2015, Tencent New, 2019, People.cn, 2020); nevertheless, most of the environmental impacts can be mitigated or solved by recycling the EV and EV battery, yet, there is no clear standards as well as agenda for both EV and EV battery recycling in China (Song, et al., 2016, Shu, et al., 2021, Yu, et al., 2020, Casper, et al., 2020, Abdullah, 2021). Accordingly, recommendations are proposed to shed a light on the sustainable transition of urban mobility, assuring ‘cleaner’ pathways for future EV development in China. Switching the current electricity generation system to more sustainable ones can mitigate the environmental impacts generated from EV and EV battery production, and EV charging. Reducing or phasing out the current EV subsidy scheme and encourage car-sharing. Setting up clear standards as well as proper agenda to facilitate EVs and EV batteries recycling is able to enhance the resource security for EV and EV battery production, and the environmental impacts generated from landfilling. Additionally, promote alternative subject which is more sustainable is also a possible solution. Nevertheless, the whole life cycle of the value chain for the alternative subjects must be examined to indicate the sustainability before promotion.Show less

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Life cycle environmental impacts of the electric vehicles in China: an extensive literature review