Quantifying the Embodied and Operational Carbon of Urban Transport and its Electrification

Abstract

The electrification of light-duty road transportation is well underway and while the environmental impact associated with manufacturing, fueling, and recycling cars is extensively studied, the energy and carbon costs of infrastructure enabling large-scale EV deployment are less known. In addition, the prospect of vehicle electrification and carbon-free electricity generation from renewables leads some to question whether pursuing travel demand reduction strategies, compact urban planning, and investment in public transportation is worthwhile. This thesis seeks to quantify the operational, vehicle embodied, and infrastructure embodied carbon emissions associated with different forms of urban transport including ICE and electric cars, buses, commuter rail, and subway through a case study of urban and suburban areas in the New York metropolitan region. Results of modelling suggest that operational embodied carbon emissions incurred by enabling LDV electrification is exceeded by operational carbon reductions within three years for the inner boroughs and nine years for the suburban counties studied. In addition, overall carbon emissions associated with urban transport were found to be more than double in the outer areas compared to the inner areas on a per-capita basis for both operational and embodied carbon in pre- and post-electrification scenarios. These findings suggest that while electrification of LDVs is a powerful step in decarbonizing transport, there is still significant benefit to be gained from compact urban planning and public transport.