Road transport contributes 12% of India’s energy-related Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is one of the major source of air pollution in urban area. These vehicle related emissions has increased more than three times since 2000 which is mainly driven by rapid urbanization and the growing demand for private vehicles. If there is no shift away from fossil to renewables, climate change intensity and air quality challenges will increase. Among sustainable alternatives, electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising solution. However, a comprehensive understanding of their environmental performance, particularly in the Indian context, is essential for informed decision-making.
This study employs a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to evaluate the environmental consequences of typical passenger vehicle with an gasoline/diesel powered vehicle compared to its EV powertrain covering Cradle-to-Grave life cycle phases. Key life cycle stages—manufacturing, transportation, distribution, maintenance, and end-of-life—are analyzed using real-world data wherever feasible. To capture the evolving energy landscape, the study incorporates India’s projected grid evolution, considering increased renewable energy adoption in 2025, 2030, and 2040 to evaluate use phase impacts for EVs. The findings reveal that EVs demonstrate 14–38% lower CO2 eq. emissions compared to ICE over 150,000 km vehicle lifetime which is subject to pace of grid decarburization and related policy implementation. The study is further extended to cover scenarios with use of 50% & 100% use of solar energy for charging the vehicle which further reduces CO2 eq. emissions up to 61% and to covers other impact categories for all the scenarios. The analysis also identifies a break-even point, after which EVs deliver superior environmental performance compared to their diesel counterparts.
The study clearly emphasizes environmental benefits of EVs and highlights the crucial role of renewable energy integration and supportive policy frameworks in effective decarburization. By presenting a robust evaluation, it emphasizes the extensive potential of EVs in advancing India’s sustainable mobility goals and clearly define the significance of accelerating the transition toward greener transportation systems.