Life-cycle environmental and techno-economic modelling of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Earth Science and Engineering
Abstract
Electric mobility, driven by reduced costs and potential environmental benefits is experiencing a rapid growth, with the global electric car fleet exceeding 5.1 million units in 2018. The increased market adoption of battery electric vehicles is enabled through the technological maturity of lithium-ion batteries exhibiting favorable performance, cost and environmental patterns. Life cycle assessment is a powerful tool for the determination of the trade-offs between those patterns from a value chain perspective. A detailed engineering system inspired life cycle model for automotive Li-ion batteries is developed in this research, accounting for battery production, utilisation and recycling. The model will be used to evaluate different battery chemistries and technological options from a cost and environmental standpoint and ultimately provide a robust means of decision making, complementing scientific and engineering developments targeting Li-ion battery performance improvements and cost reductions. So far, the production of current and future automotive battery chemistries has been modelled and the environmental performance of several Li-ion battery chemistries and their use in China has been benchmarked.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/R513052/1 | 01/10/2018 | 30/09/2023 | |||
| 2261387 | Studentship | EP/R513052/1 | 30/09/2018 | 30/03/2022 | Evangelos Kallitsis |
| Description | - Developed quantitative models to calculate the environmental impact of lithium-ion battery production, use in electric vehicles and recycling. - Demonstrated the importance of production location to the climate impact of battery manufacturing and highlighted the effect of energy density towards resource efficiency. - Highlighted the importance of battery lifetime extension as a dominant strategy to reduce the overall cost and carbon footprint of electric vehicles. - Performed holistic assessments of battery recycling chains demonstrating their environmental impact reduction potential. |
| Exploitation Route | All models developed in this research have been shared through academic publications for life cycle assessment practitioners to reproduce and use. Such models could be used to inform decision- and policy- making towards the establishment of a sustainable battery value chain. |
| Sectors | Energy,Environment,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport |
| Description | This research demonstrated that producing batteries in Europe comes with a significantly lower environmental cost compared to Asian rivals. Communicating those findings through a briefing paper, youtube videos and conference presentations has contributed to the discussion towards the establishment of a European battery value chain. In addition, the importance of battery lifetime in reducing costs and carbon footprints of electric vehicles was demonstrated. While battery manufacturers are focusing mostly on lowering battery pack production costs, these findings highlight battery lifetime extension as a paramount priority from the society and policy maker's point of view. Finally, pathways for establishing both economically and environmentally beneficial battery recycling operations were explored, contributing to the discussion towards establishing circular value chains for electric vehicle batteries. |
| Sector | Energy,Environment,Transport |
| Impact Types | Economic,Policy & public services |