Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Life cycle assessment study on the public transport bus fleet electrification in the context of sustainable urban development strategy

Jakub Szczurowski, Adrian Lubecki, M. Bałys, Brodawka Ewelina, Zarębska Katarzyna

The Science of The Total Environment · 2022

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Summary

This 2022 life cycle assessment evaluated the environmental profile of electrifying urban public transport bus fleets as part of broader sustainable urban development strategies. The study appears to have applied standardised LCA methodology to compare electric and conventional bus systems across their full lifecycle—from manufacturing through operation to end-of-life—to inform policy decisions on urban transport electrification. The findings contribute to understanding whether electric bus adoption delivers net environmental benefits when upstream manufacturing and electricity generation impacts are accounted for.

UK applicability

The findings may be broadly relevant to UK local authorities and transport authorities considering bus fleet electrification as part of net-zero commitments, though results will depend on the electricity grid carbon intensity assumed in the Polish study versus current and projected UK grid mix. UK applicability would be strengthened if the study addresses the specific emissions profile of UK electricity generation and vehicle manufacturing contexts.

Key measures

Lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, resource use, environmental impact categories (as suggested by LCA methodology)

Outcomes reported

The study quantified environmental impacts of transitioning urban public transport bus fleets from conventional to electric propulsion using life cycle assessment methodology. The analysis evaluated greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and other environmental burdens across the full lifecycle of electric versus conventional buses.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Research
Study design
Life cycle assessment (LCA)
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Poland
System type
Other
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153872
Catalogue ID
SNmoi1q7vw-2xnrod

Topic tags

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