Materials Assessment
The staff of the Energy Systems Division has a long history of technical and economic analysis of the production and recycling of materials for transportation and other uses. Starting after the first energy crisis, they produced a series of reports on energy and materials flows in major manufacturing industries, and studied recycling of products as diverse as discarded tires and beverage containers. The staff has also done detailed studies to compare energy and environmental impacts of alternative future vehicles. These include aluminum-intensive and conventional steel vehicles, electric and hybrid vehicles, and fuel cells and diesel hybrids. Other studies identified automotive uses for wrought magnesium. The group has also evaluated costs for electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries.
Detailed material production process data have been included in the GREET 2 model, which estimates energy and materials use for the entire vehicle cycle, that is all of the inputs and outputs from raw materials in the ground through use and recycling. The data in this model are currently being expanded and updated. A recent application of the model, along with GREET 1, which calculates the fuel cycle impacts, compared plug-in hybrids to other vehicles. This analysis shows that possible battery replacement will not significantly impact the low-impact status of miles supplied by electricity. Work is currently underway to better characterize the production and possible recycling processes for different lithium-ion battery chemistries that may eventually be commercialized in plug-in hybrid vehicles.
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June 2008
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