Critical review of life cycle assessment of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles : A lifespan perspective

Xin LAI, Quanwei CHEN, Xiaopeng TANG, Yuanqiang ZHOU, Furong GAO, Yue GUO, Rohit BHAGAT, Yuejiu ZHENG*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal PublicationsReview articleBook reviewpeer-review

235 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are the ideal energy storage device for electric vehicles, and their environmental, economic, and resource risks assessment are urgent issues. Therefore, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of LIBs in the entire lifespan is becoming a hotspot. This study first reviews the basic framework and types, standards and methods, and technical challenges of LCA. Then, the cradle-to-cradle LCA framework for LIBs is constructed, and the technical route of LCA in the stages of battery production, usage, secondary utilization, and material recycling are analyzed in detail. Finally, the carbon footprint in the battery production and recycling stages is conducted under the current and future energy mixes. The results show that battery production significantly impacts the environment and resources, and battery materials recycling and remanufacturing present considerable environmental and economic values. Moreover, the greening of electricity is critical to reducing carbon emissions during the battery life cycle.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100169
JournaleTransportation
Volume12
Early online date16 Apr 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51977131 and No. 51877138), the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Grant No. 19ZR1435800), the State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy under Project No. KF2020 , and Shanghai Science and Technology Development Fund (Grant No. 19QA1406200).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

  • Carbon footprint
  • Cradle-to-cradle
  • Electric vehicles
  • Life cycle assessment
  • Lithium-ion batteries

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  • Best Annual Paper of the Elsevier journal eTransportation

    LAI, X. (Recipient), CHEN, Q. (Recipient), TANG, X. (Recipient), ZHOU, Y. (Recipient), GAO, F. (Recipient), GUO, Y. (Recipient), BHAGAT, R. (Recipient) & ZHENG, Y. (Recipient), 26 Oct 2023

    Prize: Prize (CDCF)

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