Comparison of emissions depending on the type of vehicle engine

Rievaj, Vladimír; Gaňa, Ján; Synák, František · 2019 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.2478/jlst-2019-0004

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This paper addresses the environmental impact of replacing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) in road transport. While EVs produce no primary exhaust emissions, the authors argue that a comprehensive assessment must include secondary emissions generated during electricity production. The study aims to determine whether shifting to electric traction actually reduces global pollution by comparing the emissions from ICE vehicles against those from power plants, accounting for energy conversion losses. The methodology involves a comparative analysis of emission data from Slovak power plants and EU regulatory limits for vehicle emissions. The authors utilized data from 2011–2017 regarding sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and particulate matter (PM) produced by thermal and total power generation in Slovakia. These values were normalized to grams per kilowatt-hour (g/kWh). The study also incorporated EU fuel mix data for 2015 to estimate emissions from thermal plants across the European Union. To ensure a fair comparison, the authors adjusted the electricity emission figures to account for efficiency losses in the EV supply chain, including rectification (90% efficiency), transmission (98% efficiency), and lithium-ion battery charge/discharge cycles (estimated at 85% efficiency). Vehicle emissions were based on Euro 6 standards for heavy goods vehicles and M1 passenger cars, using an urban cycle energy intensity of 0.48 kWh per 1.013 km. The results indicate that the environmental benefit of EVs depends heavily on the specific pollutant and the energy source. The authors found that expanding EV usage in the EU would likely reduce carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions, as these are primarily produced by ICE vehicles in populated areas. However, the study concludes that CO₂ and NOₓ emissions would increase if the electricity is generated by thermal plants. For instance, thermal plants in Slovakia produced significantly higher CO₂ (1,096.0 g/kWh) and NOₓ (0.83 g/kWh) per unit of energy compared to the adjusted limits for ICE vehicles. Even when accounting for the EU’s broader energy mix, thermal plant emissions remained substantial. The authors note that while nuclear and renewable sources have lower emission factors (20–45 g/kWh for CO₂), the current EU reliance on thermal energy makes a blanket shift to EVs problematic. The significance of this research lies in challenging the assumption that electric traction is emission-free. The authors conclude that while EVs can mitigate local air quality issues by removing tailpipe pollutants from urban centers, they may exacerbate global greenhouse gas emissions if the electricity grid relies heavily on fossil fuels. The paper suggests that EV adoption is only environmentally beneficial in regions with high shares of renewable or nuclear energy, such as Norway or Iceland. For the broader EU, the authors argue that a global shift to electric vehicles is not an optimum solution without a concurrent transition to cleaner energy production methods.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• passenger motion sickness comfort