Material demands, environmental impact and economic cost of battery electric vehicles

The promotion of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has given rise to a number of vehicle types and parameters. Hence, how to optimize the performance of different types of BEVs from an environmental and economic perspective is important. In response, this study investigated environmental impact and economic cost, and introduced an innovative eco-optimization approach to analyze the effect on various BEVs. The results significantly demonstrated a 10-25% optimization potential for BEVs. Moreover, the optimization pathway of BEVs was compared with the selected internal combustion engine sedan and SUV, in order to show the difference in each lifecycle stage. Finally, we found the 15% improvement effect of this optimization approach on the BEV industry.