Charging ahead or leaving behind? Climate change, air pollution and environmental justice consequences of vehicle electrification in India
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- India, with a population projected to reach 1.64 billion by 2050 and responsible for approximately 7% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, faces significant challenges in achieving environmental sustainability in its transportation system. Vehicle electrification has been proposed as a potential solution, but the net effects on GHG and criteria air pollutant emissions are influenced by the electricity generation mix, carbon capture and air pollution control technologies used. In this dissertation, we perform a state-specific life-cycle assessment to evaluate GHG and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions for representative passenger vehicles and technologies. Results show that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have higher GHG and SO2 emissions in most states under present conditions, indicating that widespread vehicle electrification is not feasible until the grid decreases CO2 and SO2 emissions. We also model the change in PM2.5 exposure, premature mortality and monetized damages from multiple vehicle electrification and grid scenarios, finding that vehicle electrification under present day conditions increases premature deaths from air pollution. Higher PM2.5 exposure levels are seen in scheduled castes/tribes, poor, and rural populations compared to urban and high-income groups, particularly in high coal production states. Switching to zero-emitting electricity generation sources such as renewables, nuclear or installing technologies such as post combustion carbon capture and storage (CCS) and flue gas desulfurization units would reduce premature mortality from road transportation due to air pollution. We also find that enabling CCS in coal power plants in India could reduce power sector GHG emissions by 743 million metric tons per annum along with air pollution related health co-benefits.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2023; ©2023 |
| Publication date | 2023; 2023 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Peshin, Tapas |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Azevedo, Inês M. L |
| Thesis advisor | Azevedo, Inês M. L |
| Thesis advisor | Brandt, Adam (Adam R.) |
| Thesis advisor | Rajagopal, Ram |
| Thesis advisor | Weyant, John P. (John Peter) |
| Degree committee member | Brandt, Adam (Adam R.) |
| Degree committee member | Rajagopal, Ram |
| Degree committee member | Weyant, John P. (John Peter) |
| Associated with | Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Energy Resources Engineering |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Tapas Peshin. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Energy Resources Engineering. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2023. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/hz302dn8332 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2023 by Tapas Peshin
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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