Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Prototype Solar Electric Vehicle & its Feasibility in the Indian Transportation System

Our analysis investigates the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a prototype solar electric vehicle in INDIA. Life cycle assessment (LCA) quantifies the environmental impacts of a product's manufacture, use, and end-of-life. LCA traditionally utilizes either a process-based methodology or an economic input-output (EIO) methodology. Major inputs in the manufacture of a solar electric vehicle are: Automobile mechanical manufacturing, Battery manufacturing, Solar Modules manufacturing and Electricity production. In each of these processes, the net emission of GHG is quantified based on the data available for each process and hence the net CO₂-eq emission is calculated for the production of one unit of solar electric car. The GHG emissions during the production of electricity which is used for the charging of batteries and the maintenance of solar car. The different modes of electricity production in India are analyzed based on the data available and their relative percentages are used to determine the net GHG emission caused during production of electricity required for the manufacture of solar car. In this paper, an analysis is done of the net GHG emissions caused due to transportation in Delhi and the feasibility of incorporation of solar electric vehicles in the different transportation segments is also studied.