Dynamic analysis of well-to-wheel electric and hydrogen vehicles greenhouse gas emissions: Focusing on consumer preferences and power mix changes in South Korea

Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) are expected to play an important role not only as solutions to the environmental problem but also as the future demand for automobiles. However, the eco-friendliness of these vehicles cannot be judged simply on the basis of emissions of harmful exhaust gas during operations. This is because electricity and hydrogen which serve as fuels of EVs and FCEVs, result in the generation of greenhouse gas (GHG) which must also be taken into consideration. Previous studies which examined GHG emissions of EVs and FCEVs, did so from a well-to-wheel perspective, using cross-sectional data on only one type of fuel. Meanwhile, this paper approaches GHG emissions caused by EVs and FCEVs by examining the power mix and resulting change of market share of EVs and FCEVs in South Korea. In numerical terms, the estimated GHG reduction is 122,441 tCO2-e, which constitutes only 4.7% of the sector-wide target of 30.8 million tCO2-e. Furthermore, although the introduction of FCEVs helps to reduce GHG, it also simultaneously affects the EV market share. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the segmentation of FCEVs and EVs to optimize efficient infrastructure investment and a stable diffusion of environment-friendly vehicles.