Lifecycle climate impact and primary energy use of electric and biofuel cargo trucks
type: Dataset
description: Heavy trucks contribute significantly to climate change, and in 2020 were responsible for 7% of total Swedish GHG emissions and 5% of total global CO2 emissions. Here we study the full lifecycle of cargo trucks powered by different energy pathways, comparing their biomass feedstock use, primary energy use, net biogenic and fossil CO2 emission, and cumulative radiative forcing. We analyse battery electric trucks with bioelectricity from standalone or combined heat and power (CHP) plants, and pathways where bioelectricity is integrated with wind and solar electricity. We analyse trucks operated on fossil diesel fuel and on dimethyl ether (DME). All energy pathways are analysed with and without carbon capture and storage (CCS). Bioelectricity and DME are produced from forest harvest residues. Forest biomass is a limited resource, so in a scenario analysis we allocate a fixed amount of biomass to power Swedish truck transport. Battery lifespan and chemistry, the technology level of energy supply, and the biomass source and transport distance are all varied to understand how sensitive the results are to these parameters. The scenario spans 100 years into the future. We find that pathways using electricity to power battery electric trucks have much lower climate impacts and primary energy use, compared to diesel and DME based pathways. The pathways using bioelectricity with CCS result in negative emissions leading to global cooling of the earth. The pathways using diesel and DME have significant and very similar climate impact, even with CCS. The robust results show that truck electrification and increased renewable electricity production is a much better strategy to reduce the climate impact of cargo transport and much more primary energy efficient than the adoption of DME trucks. This climate impact analysis includes all fossil and net biogenic CO2 emissions as well as the timing of these emissions. Considering only fossil emissions is incomplete and could be misleading…
citation: Sathre, R., Gustavsson, L. (2023). Lifecycle climate impact and primary energy use of electric and biofuel cargo trucks. Global Change Biology Bioenergy.
conditions of access: http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/access-right/PUBLIC
conditions of access: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
creative work status: completed
  type: DefinedTerm
  in defined term set: http://publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/dataset-status
  term code: COMPLETED
creator: Roger Sathre
creator: Leif Gustavsson
  type: Person
  affiliation: Linnaeus University
  family name: Gustavsson
  given name: Leif
date modified: 2023-01-25
date published: 2023-01-25
language: English
is part of: https://doi.org/10.5878/g67z-nj65
keywords: Climate Science
  type: DefinedTerm
  term code: 10501
keywords: Environmental Sciences
  type: DefinedTerm
  term code: 10502
keywords: Transport Systems and Logistics
  type: DefinedTerm
  term code: 20105
keywords: Bioenergy
  type: DefinedTerm
  term code: 20904
keywords: Forest Science
  type: DefinedTerm
  description: Including: Silviculture, Forest Genetics, Forest Mycology, Forest Pathology, Forest Technology, Forest History, Forest Ecology, Forest Economics
  term code: 40104
keywords: biofuel
keywords: electric vehicle
keywords: lorry
keywords: biomass energy
keywords: biomass
keywords: bioelectricity
  type: DefinedTerm
  term code: 39358
keywords: cumulative radiative forcing
keywords: dimethyl ether
keywords: woody biomass
keywords: climate impact
publisher: Linnaeus University
size: QuantitativeValue
  unit text: variables
  value: 4
spatial coverage: Sweden
distribution: data/Sathre_Gustavsson_2023_truck_climate_impact.xlsx
  type: DataDownload
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distribution: documentation/Documentation_Sathre_Gustavsson_2023_truck_climate_impact.pdf
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distribution: documentation/References_Sathre_Gustavsson_2023_truck_climate_impact.pdf
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  conditions of access: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
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version: 1

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.5878/0h1w-e950

Roger Sathre
type: Person
affiliation: Linnaeus University
family name: Sathre
given name: Roger

Linnaeus University
type: Organization
department: Department of Built Environment and Energy Technology

English
type: Language
alternate name: eng

RADIATIVE FORCING
type: DefinedTerm
description: A change imposed upon the climate system which modifies the radiativebalance of that system. The causes of such a change may include changes inthe sun, clouds, ice, greenhouse gases, volcanic activity, and otheragents. Radiative forcing is often specified as the net change in energyflux at the troposphere (watts per square meter). Radiative forcing maysometimes be referred to as external forcing or perturbations of theclimate.

biofuel
type: DefinedTerm
description: A gaseous, liquid, or solid fuel that contains an energy content derived from a biological source. The organic matter that makes up living organisms provides a potential source of trapped energy that is beginning to be exploited to supply the ever-increasing energy demand around the world. An example of a biofuel is rapeseed oil, which can be used in place of diesel fuel in modified engines. The methyl ester of this oil, rapeseed methyl ester (RME), can be used in unmodified diesel engines and is sometimes known as biodiesel. Other biofuels include biogas and gasohol.
term code: 12011

electric vehicle
type: DefinedTerm
description: Vehicle driven by an electric motor and characterized by being silent and less polluting.
term code: 2612

lorry
type: DefinedTerm
description: A large motor vehicle designed to carry heavy loads, especially one with a flat platform.
term code: 4913

biomass energy
type: DefinedTerm
description: A renewable energy source that makes use of such biofuels as methane (biogas) generated by sewage, farm, industrial, or household organic waste materials. Other biofuels include trees grown in so-called "energy forests" or other plants, such as sugar cane, grown for their energy potential. Biomass energy relies on combustion and therefore produces carbon dioxide; its use would not, therefore, alleviate the greenhouse effect.
term code: 885

biomass
type: DefinedTerm
description: [Henderson's] n. (1) total weight, volume or energy equivalent of organisms in a given area; (2) plant materials and animal wastes used as a source of fuel or other industrial products; (3) in biotechnology, the micro­bial matter in the system.
term code: 20790

Sweden
type: Place