Beyond Tailpipe Emissions: Life Cycle Assessment Unravels Battery’s Carbon Footprint in Electric Vehicles

Abstract

While electric vehicles (EVs) offer lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in some regions, the concern over the greenhouse gas emissions generated during battery production is often debated. This literature review examines the true environmental trade-offs between conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and emerging technologies such as solid-state batteries (SSBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). It emphasizes the carbon-intensive nature of LIB manufacturing and explores how alternative technologies can enhance efficiency while reducing the carbon footprint. We have used a keyword search technique to review articles related to batteries and their environmental performances. The study results reveal that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of battery production alone range from 10 to 394 kgCO2 eq./kWh. We identified that lithium manganese cobalt oxide and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide batteries, despite their high energy density, exhibit higher GHGs (20–394 kgCO2 eq./kWh) because of the cobalt and nickel production. Lithium iron phosphate (34–246 kgCO2 eq./kWh) and sodium-ion (40–70 kgCO2 eq./kWh) batteries showed lower environmental impacts because of the abundant feedstock, emerging as a sustainable choice, especially when high energy density is not essential. This review also concludes that the GHGs of battery production are highly dependent on the regional grid carbon intensity. Batteries produced in China, for example, have higher GHGs than those produced in the United States (US) and European Union (EU). Understanding the GHGs of battery production is critical to fairly evaluating the environmental impact of battery electric vehicles.

Keywords

• LCA
• solid-state batteries
• Li-ion batteries
• electric vehicles
• transportation