A life-cycle analysis of the costs & benefits of BEV / HEV / PHEV

The aim of this project is to analyse, investigate and assess the environmental and societal cost associated with new vehicle technologies. This will be achieved by conducting a life cycle analysis of each type of vehicle, researching advantages and disadvantages using real world and simulated data to examine each with the aim of determining the true economic and environmental costs for hybrid vehicles as a whole. These new technologies consist of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). They must be analysed and compared to standard Internal Combustion Vehicles (IC) which make up the large majority of the present road transport fleet. The investigation will focus on the emissions and energy usage associated with the manufacture, use and disposal of each vehicle type, including the manufacture and distribution of the fuels associated with their use. A basic model of the analysis was set, defining three key cycles, the Use cycle, Manufacturing cycle and the Fuel cycle. Emissions and energy use data relating to each section was collected and a model was constructed to determine the total emissions and energy usage related to each vehicle type. A financial aspect was also considered at a consumer level, which shows any financial implications relating to the consumer such as fuel costs and tax incentives or penalties.