Analysis of the Carbon Footprint in Green and Fossil Fuel Production

Abstract

C Armenta-Deu and Ignacio Avial

This study compares the carbon footprint of clean versus fossil fuels using the ”Well-To-Wheels”(WTW) methodology, which considers all stages from production to consumption in vehicles. We evaluate fossil fuels like diesel, gasoline, LPG, and electric- ity. The results show that electric cars emit less CO2 during use, but it is essential to consider emissions from electricity produc- tion for a full assessment. Transitioning to clean fuels reduces emissions, but improving technologies is critical to maximizing environmental benefits. The study shows that battery and fuel cell electric vehicles are the most respectful to the environment when generating electricity in renewable energy plants. The analysis shows that fossil fuel engine cars and hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have similar carbon footprints because of the high fossil fuel dependence, the high fraction of the driving range, and carbon dioxide emissions in thermal power plants during electricity generation for battery charge in plug-in electric vehicles. This situation reverses producing electricity in renewable energy systems. The study applies to any condition, world area, or country development despite the system development for specific driving conditions and world geographical area since the study develops a comparative analysis between engine types, regardless of driving mode or reference consumption rate.

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