British consulting company Ricardo has begun work on developing a harmonized European life-cycle assessment standard for EVs and batteries. The project is funded by the EU and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
At the moment, there is no agreed European or international standard on vehicle life-cycle assessment. Defining a single, harmonized life-cycle assessment approach for vehicles and batteries is a key to providing transparency and comparability of impacts from these products, says the company.
Ricardo’s 2020 report for the European Commission, DG Climate Action, Determining the environmental impacts of conventionally and alternatively fuelled vehicles through LCA, assessed the life-cycle impacts of 65 different European light and heavy-duty vehicle types and powertrain combinations. It considered the production of 60 fuel chains for conventional and alternative fuels, 14 forms of electricity generation, the impacts of vehicle (and battery) manufacturing and vehicle use and maintenance, including different end-of-life scenarios.
“The major report on life-cycle impacts of road vehicles that Ricardo undertook for the European Commission in 2020 highlighted the importance of life-cycle assessment in sustainable product and business development, but also the challenges for its application,” said Nikolas Hill, Head of Vehicle Technologies and Fuels for Ricardo Sustainable Transport. “By working with its industry and research partners, Ricardo will help to deliver a standard, trustworthy and consistent assessment of full vehicular environmental footprints, to support organizations across the transport value chain progress in their objective of achieving climate neutrality.”
Source: Ricardo
