Life cycle assessment of electric and conventional cars energy consumption and CO2 emissions

This paper presents an analysis concerning the effectiveness of electric traction in comparison with conventional cars. The Life Cycle Assessment method is used. It estimates the energy spent for the extraction of the raw materials/sources, manufacturing and transportation of the components and the vehicle, motion, maintenance and repair during exploitation period and the recycling process. The impact of the production technology of the electric energy, needed for charging the battery, is taken into account. The energy consumption and CO2 emissions for the life cycle of electric and conventional cars are presented on graphs. Examples for Bulgaria and EU countries are given. The exploitation conditions in which the electric car is more effective regarding CO2 equivalent emissions are shown. The main influence on the effectiveness of electric cars has the structure of the energy mix of the country where the electric car is produced and is used in exploitation.