Ecological impact of vehicles: A comparative study within the Czech Republic and other Visegrad 4 countries

Abstract

In the last decade, the popularity of electric vehicles has grown significantly. Today, there is a wide range of electric vehicles available, from small city cars to sports cars and large sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Each new generation increases the total energy of the battery, thereby extending the range of electric vehicles. Modern electric vehicles often achieve a range of more than 400 km on a single charge. However, as their popularity grows, there have been increasing reports of higher life cycle emissions compared to conventional vehicles. These higher life cycle emissions are often associated with the ever-increasing size of the battery. This study aims to point out the main sources of emissions in the life cycle of an electric vehicle and compare them with conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines. Furthermore, our objective is to determine the ecological viability of electric vehicles in the Czech Republic compared to the other Visegrad Four countries. Based on extensive research, it has been calculated that electric vehicles have the potential to reduce emissions by 29%–69% (46% in the Czech Republic) compared to their petrol equivalents and by 19%–60% compared to their diesel equivalents (39% in the Czech Republic). Even in the worst-case scenario (Poland), an electric vehicle with a 64 kWh battery is more environmentally friendly than a petrol vehicle after driving 48,343 km.