Title: Social and environmental impacts of electric and hybrid vehicles

Authors: W.F. Hamilton, L.M. Morecraft, W.M. Carriere

Addresses: General Research Corporation, Santa Barbara, California, USA. ' General Research Corporation, Santa Barbara, California, USA. ' General Research Corporation, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Abstract: The social and environmental impacts of electric and hybrid vehicles include effects on mobility and travel, electricity supply system operation, petroleum and other fuel consumption, air pollution and traffic noise. An estimated 80% of average annual vehicle kilometres can be electrified. Electricity supply systems will not need to expand capacity, and will benefit from load levelling if overnight recharging of electric vehicles is encouraged. Petroleum consumption for transportation purposes will decline, but the benefits are dependent on the type of fuel used to generate recharge electricity. The fuel mix used by power stations also determines air pollution impacts, since decreases in vehicle emissions are accompanied by increases in power plant emissions. Improvements in traffic noise are modest, with 100% electrification of light vehicles producing a 13% decrease in traffic noise impacts.

Keywords: hybrid electric vehicles; HEVs; hybrid vehicles; automobile travel distances; electricity supply systems; petroleum consumption; air pollution; traffic noise.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1981.061254

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1981 Vol.2 No.4, pp.480 - 496

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article