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"Well-to-Wheels Energy and Emission Effects of Fuel-Cell Vehicles Powered with Different Fuels"

Michael Wang
Center for Transportation Research
Argonne National Laboratory
412 S. Peoria
UTC 340
Friday, December 5, 2003
Time: 11 am

Fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) are being promoted for their energy and emission reduction benefits. When FCVs are powered with hydrogen, they do not generate emissions during vehicle operation. When they are powered with hydrocarbon fuels with on-board fuel processors, they could generate some amount of emissions. However, production and distribution of hydrogen (and hydrocarbon fuels) consume energy and produce emissions. In order to fully evaluate energy and emission benefits of FCVs, their energy and emissions must be evaluated on the well-to-wheels (WTW) basis.

Argonne National Laboratory has developed the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model. The GREET model enables analysts to evaluate WTW energy and emission effects of various vehicle/fuel systems, including FCVs. With the GREET model, Argonne, and together with several industry partners, analyzed WTW energy and emissions of advanced vehicle/fuel systems. Argonne applied the GREET model to analyze energy use and emissions of propulsion systems such as hybrid electric vehicles and FCVs and fuels such as gasoline, diesel, hydrogen (gaseous and liquid, produced from various energy feedstocks with different production technologies), ethanol, and compressed natural gas. This presentation summarizes updated results of well-to-wheels energy and emission effects of fuel-cell vehicles powered with different fuels.