Research Articles

Environmental impacts of electric vehicles in South Africa

Xinying Liu, Diane Hildebrandt, David Glasser
South African Journal of Science | Vol 108, No 1/2 | a603 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajs.v108i1/2.603 | © 2012 Xinying Liu, Diane Hildebrandt, David Glasser | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 25 January 2011 | Published: 20 January 2012

About the author(s)

Xinying Liu, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Diane Hildebrandt, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
David Glasser, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Abstract

Electric vehicles have been seen by some policymakers as a tool to target reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.1,2 Some researchers have shown that the full environmental impact of electric vehicles depends very much on the cleanliness of the electricity grid.3 In countries such as the USA and China, where coal-fired power plants still play a very important role in electricity generation, the environmental impact of electric vehicles is equivalent to, or even higher than that of cars running on internal combustion engines.4,5 In this study, the environmental impacts of electric vehicles in South Africa were investigated. We found that, as the bulk of South Africa’s electricity is generated from relatively low-quality coal and the advanced exhaust clean up technologies are not implemented in the current coal-fired power plants, the use of electric vehicles in South Africa would not help to cut greenhouse gas emissions now (2010) or in the future (in 2030 using the IRP 2010 Revision 2, policy-adjusted IRP scenario), and actually would lead to higher SOx and NOx emissions.

Keywords

electric vehicles; emissions; environmental impacts; life cycle assessment; IRP 2010

Metrics

Total abstract views: 2078
Total article views: 2970

References


Office of the Press Secretary, the White House. President Obama announces $2.4 billion in grants to accelerate the manufacturing and deployment of the next generation of U.S. batteries and electric vehicles [homepage on the Internet]. c2009 [updated 2009 Aug 05; cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www. whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/24-Billion-in-Grants-to-Accelerate-the-Manufacturing-and-Deployment-of-the-Next-Generation-of-US-Batteries-and-Electric-Vehicles/

Department of Trade and Industry. 2010/11 – 2012/13 Industrial Policy Action Plan [homepage on the Internet]. c2010 [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=117330

Nicolay S, Teller P, Renzoni R, et al. A simplified LCA for automotive sector – comparison of ICE (diesel and petrol), electric and hybrid vehicles. Paper presented at: SETAC-Europe 2000. Proceedings of the 8th LCA Case Studies Symposium [homepage on the Internet]. c2000 [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www2.ulg.ac.be/cior-fsa/publicat/8lca_ve.pdf

National Research Council of National Academics. Hidden costs of energy: Unpriced consequences of energy production and use [homepage on the Internet]. c2009 [updated 2009 Oct 19; cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12794

Huo H, Zhang Q, Wang MQ, Streets DG, He K. Environmental implication of electric vehicles in China. Environ Sci Technol. 2010;44:4856–4861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es100520c

Stanton HW. Impact of plug-in hybrid vehicles on the electric grid. Technical Report. ORNL/TM-2000/5454. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory; 2006.

Kintner-Meyer M, Schneider K, Pratt R. Impact assessment of plug-in hybrid vehicles on electric utilities and regional US power grids. Part I: Technical analysis. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; 2006.

Stephan C, Sullivan J. Environmental and energy implications of plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles. Environ Sci Technol. 2008;42:1185–1190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es062314d

US Energy Information Administration. Net generation by energy source: Total (all sectors) [homepage on the Internet]. c2010 [updated 2010 Dec 27; cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table1_1.html

Eskom integrated report 2010 [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://financialresults.co.za/2010/eskom_ar2010/downloads/eskom_ar2010.pdf

Department of Energy, Republic of South Africa. Electricity regulations on the Integrated Resource Plan 2010. Government Gazette Vol. 551 No. 34263. Pretoria: Department of Energy; 2011. Available from: http://greengazette.co.za/docs/regulation-gazette-34263-of-06-may-2011-vol-551-no-9531_20110506GGR-34263

Republic of South Africa. Government Gazette Vol. 535 No. 32898, 2010 Jan 29. Available from: http://greengazette.co.za/pages/2010/01/Gazettes/National/20100129_

Von Blottnitz H. A comparison of air emissions of thermal power plants in South Africa and 15 European countries. J Energy S Afr. 2006;17(1):72–81.

Department of Energy. Petroleum source overview [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.energy.gov.za/files/petroleum_frame.html

Sasol. 18th World Petroleum Congress [homepage on the Internet]. c2005 [updated 2005 Sept 26; cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.sasol.com/sasol_internet/downloads/WPC_Presentation_260905_1127904387831.pdf

ACEA, Alliance, EMA, JAMA. Worldwide fuel charter. 4th ed [homepage on the Internet]. c2006 [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.acea.be/images/uploads/aq/Final%20WWFC%204%20Sep%202006.pdf

CONCAWE, EUCAR, European Union Joint Research Centre. Well to wheels analysis of future automobile fuels and powertrains in the European context [document on the Internet]. c2006 [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.co2star.eu/publications/Well_to_Tank_Report_EU.pdf

Johnson JW, Berlowitz PJ, Ryan DF, et al. Emissions from Fischer Tropsch diesel fuels. SAE International. c2001 [cited 2011 Jul 14]. Available from: http://papers.sae.org/2001-01-3518

Szybist JP, Kirby SR, Boehman AL. NOx emissions of alternative diesel fuels: A comparative analysis of biodiesel and FT diesel. Energy Fuels. 2005;19:1484–1492. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ef049702q

Davenport J. South Africa’s big cleaner-fuels poser: Capital cost versus environmental benefits [document on the Internet]. c2009 [updated 2009 Jul 10; cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/quality-conundrum-2009-07-10

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Directive 2003/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 2003 amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels. Off J Eur Union L Series. 2003;76:10–19.

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Directive 98/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/220/EEC. Off J Eur Union L Series. 1998;69:1–65.

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information. Off J Eur Union L Series. 2007;171:1–16.

National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa. Comparative passenger car fuel economy and CO emissions data [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.naamsa.co.za/ecelabels/

Optimal energy [homepage on the Internet]. No date [cited 2011 Jan 10]. Available from: http://www.optimalenergy.co.za/

Wang M. GREET 1.8d.1 – transportation fuel-cycle model. Chicago, IL: Argonne National Laboratory; 2010.

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Regulation (EC) No. 443/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009, setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the community’s integrated approach to reduce CO emissions from light-duty vehicles. Off J Eur Union L Series. 2009;140:1–15.

Solomon SD, Qin D, Manning M, et al, editors. Climate change 2007: The physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge, UK and New York, USA: Cambridge University Press; 2007.



Reader Comments

Before posting a comment, read our privacy policy.

Post a comment (login required)

 

Crossref Citations

1. Economic and environmental impact of electric vehicles production in Indonesia
Viktor Pirmana, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Arief Anshory Yusuf, Rutger Hoekstra, Arnold Tukker
Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy  vol: 25  issue: 6  first page: 1871  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1007/s10098-023-02475-6