Electric outperforms diesel in climate impact within first year of operation

David Algesten, who together with research colleague Dora Burul within Scania Research & Development was responsible for the study, says the results might be surprising to many.

“If there is access to green electricity, the break-even point is already at approximately 37,000 kilometres for the vehicles in the study,” Algesten says. “And with the current European grid mix, the CO₂ break-even point is at around 59,000 kilometres."

“These low mileage figures might surprise some, as they demonstrate that already within the first year of operation, the overall climate impact of the BEV (battery electric vehicle) is lower than that of a diesel vehicle, even without actively choosing green electricity.” 

Two years ago, Scania conducted a full LCA, life cycle assessment, comparing the total environmental impact of two distribution haulage trucks, one battery electric and one diesel. The new study confirms the results of the previous study.

“We consistently see similar trends when comparing BEVs to ICEVs (internal combustion engine vehicles)," says Algesten. "Electrified heavy vehicles offer substantial climate benefits, with green electricity enhancing the results.”

In Scania’s new study, a key factor was to scrutinise the climate impact of the different phases of the vehicles’ life cycle, from production to use, maintenance and end of life.

“In the production phase, we cover everything from raw material extraction to part manufacturing and vehicle assembly, including batteries,” says Algesten.

The study found that battery electric vehicle production generates roughly double the climate impact compared with an equivalent diesel truck – 52 tonnes of CO₂e vs 25 tonnes.

However, Algesten says, thanks to much lower carbon emissions during use, electrified vehicles can achieve a potential reduction of around 90 percent when charged with low-carbon electricity.

“And if charged with current European grid mix, the reduction potential over the vehicle’s lifetime is approximately 56 percent,” he says.

The results of the study provide convincing evidence of the environmental benefits of electric heavy vehicles, the Scania researchers conclude, and thus are promising from a transport business perspective.

“It is evident that transitioning to electrified vehicles poses different challenges," says Algesten. "Demonstrating the climate potential with battery electric heavy vehicles is important in dispelling any doubts or misconceptions that might still be in this area. And hopefully, by strengthening the arguments, we can encourage the transition to an electrified vehicle fleet.”