Fig. 2: Comparative Monte Carlo results for the life-cycle carbon footprint of passenger vehicle powertrains for four future scenarios. | Communications Earth & Environment

Fig. 2: Comparative Monte Carlo results for the life-cycle carbon footprint of passenger vehicle powertrains for four future scenarios.

From: Battery electric vehicles show the lowest carbon footprints among passenger cars across 1.5–3.0 °C energy decarbonisation pathways

Fig. 2

The production year is 2025 to show present-day vehicles that will be used and reach their end-of-life in 2035–2045. Results represent 5000 unique configurations computed equivalently for BEV, PHEV, HEV, and FCEV. The mean points of each scenario are displayed in their respective colour and shape, defined in the legend as “Mean average for each future scenario”. For example, a represents comparable pairwise results for a BEV and HEV. Each point reflects a BEV vs. HEV result from the equivalent configuration of the same mileage, region, lifetime, future scenario, size etc. If a point is in the HEV area of the chart (shaded light yellow, represented in the “Greater impact area” legend), then the HEV had a higher carbon footprint than the BEV in that configuration. The opposite is true if a point is in the BEV area of the chart (shaded light green). b, c show the comparison for BEV vs. PHEV and FCEV, respectively; d, e compare PHEV vs. HEV and FCEV, respectively; and f compares HEV vs. FCEV.

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