On the road to a sustainable transport mobility in isolated power systems: The role of light-duty powertrain electrification

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production Vol. 320; p. 128646
• Main Authors: García-Afonso, Óscar, Santana-Méndez, Itziar, Delgado-Torres, Agustín M., González-Díaz, Benjamín
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20-10-2021
• Subjects: All-Electric range; Electrification; Greenhouse gas reduction; Isolated power system; Plug-in vehicles; Electrification; Greenhouse gas reduction; Plug-in vehicles; Isolated power system; All-Electric range
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128646

Plug-in vehicles are seen as a promising path to reduce the road transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the singularities of small isolated power systems in terms of the high dependence of fossil fuel-based generation and the relative short distances travelled do require a particular analysis to evaluate the potential emission reduction. This paper describes a simulation study for estimating the energy consumption and the corresponding Well-to-Wheels GHG emissions of different light-duty powertrain architectures subjected to real-world driving conditions, taking the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) as a test case. The simulations have been carried out with a high-level vehicle powertrain system analysis tool, capable to estimate second-by-second vehicle energy consumption. Road gradient, GHG grid intensity and battery capacity impact on the GHG emission reduction were analysed in detail.
Based on the results, the current high carbon content of the grid and the additional weight of the large battery packs limit the potential benefit of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) with respect to hybrid architectures (HEV). The simulations also reveal that Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) currently offer a great potential to reduce the GHG emissions. Unlike other geographical areas, the high Utility Factors derived from the short distances travelled ensure the proper use of this technology.