Health impact of electric vehicles considering environmental leakage. The case study on Japan, China, Uk and Poland

Abstract

In recent years the topic of air pollution is gaining more attention due to the health effects its has on human lives. At the same time, we can observe popularization of Electric Vehicles (EVs), due to their environmental and economic benefits. However, a few studies suggest that EVs might be not environmental friendly in the long term. Hence, there is a need to investigate the emissions produced by EVs and the monetary cost of them on the health. This paper aims to quantify the cost of health diseases by employing life cycle assessment of EVs in Japan, China, Poland and the United Kingdom. The results of the study imply that the total cost of health issues is lower when import of EVs is from the nearby countries, which generate electricity from clean energy resources or when it is produced in a low emission country locally.