Work Package 2 “Pre-battery footprint analysis” was completed. In WP2 is the investigation of the characteristics and environmental impacts of the manufacture of batteries for small vehicles. This objective is related to the project’s S1 on quantifying impacts and focuses on the period prior to vehicle use. The results of WP2 include an environmental impact assessment of the battery manufacturing of representative LPEV models by calculating the carbon footprint in units of carbon dioxide equivalent grams (gCO2eq).
The objective of the deliverable of WP2.1 is to investigate the manufacturing characteristics of the lithium batteries used in small vehicles, as well as the assessment of their environmental footprint during the manufacturing phase and their transport to the points of distribution in the Greek market.
The first part of the deliverable presents the results of a literature review on the type and technology of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. It also presents market research findings and records the relevant parameters for the best-selling products. With these data, a preliminary analysis of the energy efficiency assessment of vehicles is carried out. The most critical factor is the weight, which seems to increase proportionally with the autonomy of the vehicle.
In the second part of the deliverable, a life cycle analysis of selected microvehicles is performed using the consequential LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) method. The purpose of the life cycle analysis is to establish the environmental footprint at the micro-vehicle production stage. This analysis will be complemented by a later analysis on the stage of use of the vehicles. The analysis shows that aluminium and lithium battery have the highest environmental impact. Also, production has a significantly larger environmental footprint than the transport of vehicles. Electric bicycles have a more negative footprint than electric scooters.