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Title:

Lifetime Costs, Life Cycle Emissions, and Consumer Choice for Conventional, Hybrid, and Electric Vehicles.

Accession Number:

01554433

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Abstract:

Over the past five years the market for electric vehicles has grown substantially. Consumers interested in purchasing electric vehicles can choose from a vast array of models that differ substantially in price, performance, and features. Many consumers are interested in purchasing a vehicle that will reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and lifetime costs associated with vehicle ownership. The United States Department of Energy provides cost and greenhouse gas emissions estimates for all vehicles based on the average US fuel price and electric greenhouse gas intensity. While the manufactures suggested retail price is set, the lifetime costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with travel can vary substantially depending on the location of the vehicle and whether it is powered solely by electricity or also utilizes gasoline. This paper analyzes this variation through a comparison of both the financial and greenhouse gas performance of several electric, hybrid, and conventional vehicles in four different cities: Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Denver. The analysis demonstrates that electric and hybrid vehicles do not always have a lower cost of ownership or level of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to a typical internal combustion engine vehicle. In addition, the analysis finds that the cost of greenhouse gas abatement achieved by subsidizing electric vehicles varies substantially depending on the type of vehicle and its location. As a result, a uniform federal subsidy for electric vehicles that is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions has varying efficacy across different locations.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADC70 Transportation Energy.

Monograph Accession #:

01550057

Report/Paper Numbers:

15-5314

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Roth, Michael

Pagination:

17p

Publication Date:

2015

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

References; Tables

Subject Areas:

Energy; Environment; Finance; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment; I15: Environment; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2015 Paper #15-5314

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Dec 30 2014 1:47PM