Life cycle sustainability assessment of sport utility vehicles: The case for Qatar

Abstract

Electric vehicle technologies are attractive alternatives to traditional vehicles towards achieving sustainable transportation. The adoption of these technologies has a great potential in reducing road transportation externalities. As Qatar aims to achieve 10% electric vehicles by 2030, this research reveals the macro-level environmental, social, and economic impacts and benefits of electric vehicles in Qatar. The studied vehicle technologies are, gasoline vehicle (ICV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and battery electric vehicle (BEV). In this regard, we quantified 9 macro level indicators using Multi regional input-output (MRIO)-based life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) framework and compared the vehicles accordingly. The results show that, electric vehicles are better options in terms of Global Warming Potential (GWP), Particulate Matter Formation (PMF), and Photochemical Ozone Formation (POF) impacts. In addition to that, the results demonstrated that electric vehicles are more cost effectives than the traditional ones, while they are worse than traditional vehicles in terms of employment, operating surplus, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) impacts.