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• Holistic analysis of electric light commercial vehicles for low emission transport. • Total cost of ownership of some electric vehicle variants is already favourable now. • High penetration scenarios decrease CO 2 and other emissions by 2030 above 3%. • Electric light commercial vehicles can reduce particulate concentrations by ca. 2%. • Besides fiscal support measures, other policies needed to remove market barriers. Transport emissions need to be drastically decreased in order to put Europe on a path towards a long-term climate neutrality. Commercial transport, and especially last mile delivery is expected to grow because of the rise of e-commerce. In this frame, electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) can be a promising low-emission solution. Literature holistically analysing the potential of eLCVs as well as related support policies is sparse. This paper attempts to close this research gap. To this aim, the total cost of ownership (TCO) comparisons for eLCVs and benchmark vehicles are performed and support measures that target the improvement of the eLCV TCO are analysed. Various eLCV deployment scenarios until 2030 are explored and their impact on carbon dioxide (CO 2) and other pollutant emissions as well as pollutant concentrations are calculated. It is found that while in several European Union (EU) countries eLCVs are already cost competitive, because of fiscal support, some remaining market barriers need to be overcome to pave the way to mass market deployment of eLCVs. High penetration of eLCVs alone can lead to a reduction of total transport CO 2 emissions by more than 3% by 2030. For pollutant emissions, such as nitrogen oxide (NO x) and particulate matter (PM), the reduction would be equal or even higher. In the case of PM, this can translate to reductions in concentrations by nearly 2% in several urban areas by 2030. Carefully designed support policies could help to ensure that the potential of eLCVs as a low-emission alternative is fully leveraged in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been around for more than a hundred years. Nevertheless, their deployment has not been a sustainable success up until now. Many scientists, engineers and policymakers argue that EVs are a promising, maybe even indispensable option to achieve ambitious decarbonization goals, if powered by electricity from renewable energy sources. At the moment, the EVs market is gaining a lot of momentum and we may be near the point of no return for a sustained mass market deployment of electric vehicles. Many papers exist that describe future prospects of EVs. In our commentary we try to provide a bigger picture view and look at market and societal aspects. We analyze why previous generations of EVs were not successful and how current electric vehicles could become a sustainable success. We perform a semi-quantitative Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis and find that current electric vehicle designs are technologically on par with or better than conventional alternatives. Car buyers go electric when the economics make sense to them. We conclude that incentives are needed for electric vehicles until battery costs lower—as much as to allow EVs to become cheaper—from a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective, than other alternatives. Other policy measures are needed to overcome remaining barriers, especially in supporting the setup and operation of publicly accessible recharging points to overcome range anxiety. EVs in isolation may not be the next mobility killer app. The real next mobility killer app may emerge as an autonomous shared EV in a world where the border between public and private transport will cease to exist. The findings of our commentary are relevant for scientists, policymakers and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated photovoltaics are an emerging technology which can extend the range of electric vehicles. However, up to now there is a lack of a consensus method that would provide consumers with an estimate of the fraction of annual driving which could be covered by solar power generated onboard in different usage scenarios and locations. To address this, we assess the energy implications of vehicle integrated photovoltaics for a commuter car and light delivery van for six climatic regions and for typical daily usage profiles over a ten-year period. The analysis captures the energy needs for driving and cabin temperature control to an unprecedented level of detail. Our results reveal that the grid power needed to drive such vehicles on identical routes can vary by more than 44% between climate regions. In the best case the solar power generated can cover up to 35% of the driving range per year. This contribution can vary by a factor of 2.5 between different climates, from 1800 to 5100 km annually, considerably mitigating the effect of ambient conditions on electric range. We propose developing consumer labels for solar electric vehicles that would consider this variation according to climatic conditions. The method described in this paper could help to frame initial discussions for such labels. We identify further requirements for research and development, standardisation, and policy needs. • Above 5000 km solar range possible for commuter car and van with integrated PV. • Ten year simulation reveals solar range differences by factor 2.5 across climates. • Over 44% difference in grid electricity needs across six climates globally. • At the moment vehicle integrated PV not financially viable. • Consumer labels for PVEV may be needed to inform about performance variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated photovoltaics are an emerging technology which can extend the range of electric vehicles. However, up to now there is a lack of a consensus method that would provide consumers with an estimate of the fraction of annual driving which could be covered by solar power generated onboard in different usage scenarios and locations. To address this, we assess the energy implications of vehicle integrated photovoltaics for a commuter car and light delivery van for six climatic regions and for typical daily usage profiles over a ten-year period. The analysis captures the energy needs for driving and cabin temperature control to an unprecedented level of detail. Our results reveal that the grid power needed to drive such vehicles on identical routes can vary by more than 44% between climate regions. In the best case the solar power generated can cover up to 35% of the driving range per year. This contribution can vary by a factor of 2.5 between different climates, from 1800 to 5100 km annually, considerably mitigating the effect of ambient conditions on electric range. We propose developing consumer labels for solar electric vehicles that would consider this variation according to climatic conditions. The method described in this paper could help to frame initial discussions for such labels. We identify further requirements for research and development, standardisation, and policy needs. • Above 5000 km solar range possible for commuter car and van with integrated PV. • Ten year simulation reveals solar range differences by factor 2.5 across climates. • Over 44% difference in grid electricity needs across six climates globally. • At the moment vehicle integrated PV not financially viable. • Consumer labels for PVEV may be needed to inform about performance variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]