Life cycle cost, greenhouse gas emissions, petroleum consumption, and air pollution implications of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Plug in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have the potential to help reduce operating cost, petroleum consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and air pollution in the United States. But life cycle implications depend critically on the vehicle design, battery technology, driving and charging behavior, gasoline prices and grid characteristics. This seminar will compare life cycle implications of plug-in vehicles to alternatives under a range of scenarios. Using vehicle physics simulation models, battery degradation data, U.S. driving data, and optimal design and allocation models, the seminar will discuss (1) best sizing for PHEV battery capacity; (2) battery degradation and underutilized battery capacity; (3) carbon allowance prices and cost competitiveness of PHEVs; and (4) valuation of damages from life cycle emissions and petroleum consumption of conventional and electrified vehicles compared to differences in costs.

Speaker: Dr. Jeremy Michalek, Carnegie Mellon University