Environmental and Energy Sustainability Analysis of Conventional and Electric Powertrain

The road transport is diverging towards electrical drive solutions from the current IC engine powertrain. The vision for zero CO₂ emissions has led to stringent laws that look promising to achieve through electric powertrain compared to the conventional powertrain. The current vehicles can be equipped with an IC engine, electric or hybrid powertrain for lesser emissions, better performance in power, or energy consumption. The automotive industry still upholds the possibility of IC engine powertrain because of available infrastructure, resources, and easy availability. Meanwhile, the electric powertrain commits to zero emissions, zero dependencies on the direct use of fossil fuels, energy regeneration, and less energy consumption. The switching to electrical powertrains will require enough energy generation capability through sustainable mediums like solar, bioenergy and wind generation sources. Whereas the energy generation through conventional ways like fossil fuels, nuclear energy might lead to more emissions compared to the IC engine powertrain emissions on the road. Hence, this research analyses the energy availability and difference in energy requirement for a growing number of electric vehicles in four major markets: EU, China, USA, and India. The research also includes the impact of the electric powertrain on CO₂ emissions emitted during the electricity generation required for it. The research shows the difference between the same vehicle's energy consumption at three different modes: conventional, electric, and hybrid, using a Simulink model. The life cycle assessment is also performed for all three modes of the powertrain to understand their impact on greenhouse gas emissions during production, driving, and recycling phases.