Measurable environmental benefit of EVs: the Israel case study
At Better Place, some of the first questions we explored were: What would happen if we switched two million light duty vehicles (the current total car park in Israel) to electric vehicles (EVs) by the year 2020? What would be the measurable impact on the air quality? More specifically, what would it mean for urban air pollution levels and for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions? And how would broad deployment of EVs affect emissions from power generation sources given increases in electricity demand? These questions were the subject of research (1) conducted by Haifa University’s Dr. Bernanda Flicstein, an expert on air quality and pollution.
Environmental externalities
These types of effects are broadly referred to as environmental externalities: side effects or consequences of commercial activity that are not reflected in the price of the goods or services provided. Environmental externalities can be quantified in monetary terms (€/year) by a simple formula: the environmental offense (for example, types of air pollutants released into the atmosphere that lead to environmental stress) multiplied by the value of environmental damage per offense (the cost for each type of pollutant). The cost used for each type of pollutant was based on European studies correlated for Israel.
Since we are gazing into the future, this analysis requires us to take into account the different paths that the Israeli electricity generation sector could take. The study examined six scenarios: (1) 100% generation by gas turbines; (2) 95% by gas turbines, 5% by coal; (3) 90% by gas, 10% by coal; (4) 50% by gas, 50% by coal (worst case scenario); (5) 45% by gas, 45% by coal, 10% by renewable energy; and (6) 100% renewable energy.
The graph below shows the monetary value of environmental gains/benefits of EV adoption based on the current CO2 price of €14.8/ton and a projected price of €50/ton for the year 2020. Even in the worst-case scenario (scenario 4), switching to EVs shows a clear benefit. In the best case scenario, using 100% renewable energy, the values exceed €250 million/year.
Air quality in city centers
Research published by Dr. Flicstein also showed that the contribution of vehicular emissions to air pollution is higher than its relative part in overall pollution sources, such as industrial, natural etc. (4). On Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement observed nationally), virtually the whole country ceases from driving for 24 hours. As a result, vehicular emissions such as Benzene (measured in Haifa) drop almost to zero. The research predicts that switching gasoline cars to EVs will decrease the level of traffic pollutants to “Yom Kippur” levels.
Impact of smart charging on power plant emissions
The research assessed what would happen to power plant emissions assuming broad adoption of EVs coupled with smart charging systems, focusing on the five natural gas electricity plants in Israel. Based on the environmental models used to project the emissions from the power plants, it was determined that in all stations, with the exception of Haifa, the additional energy demand would have no significant impact on air quality, allowing the stations to continue to meet both local and European limits.
The Haifa power plant is a special case, since there are many sources of emissions in the area in addition to topographical and meteorological issues that prevent pollutants from dispersing. For these reasons, the Environmental Protection Ministry has recommended to avoid increasing the load of this power plant. And herein lies the opportunity to scale up renewable energy generation in the Haifa area.
Therefore, perhaps surprising to some, the switch to EVs will actually lead to significant and measurable environmental benefits in terms of air quality, regardless of the mix of sources of electricity. It is also noteworthy that as a sophisticated and flexible large-scale consumer of electricity, Better Place can become an enabler of large-scale integration of renewable energy, both in Israel and globally.
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(1) Dr. Bernanda Flicstein, 2009, “The Impact of 2,000,000 Electric Vehicles on Air Quality in Israel in the Year 2020″
(2) Holdren, John P. 1981 “Chapter V. Energy and Human Environment: The Generation and Definition of Environmental Problems.” In The European Transition from Oil: Societal Impacts and Constraints on Energy Policy. Edited by G. T. Goodman, L. A. Kristoferson and J. M. Hollander. London: Academic Press.
(3) Green taxation by the Israeli inter-ministerial committee (Hebrew)
(4) Yuval, et al., “The impact of a forced reduction in traffic volumes on urban air pollution”, Atmospheric Environment (2007), doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.09.066
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