Life-Cycle Assessment

This chapter discusses the direct and indirect harmful emissions from cars and how these can be assessed and compared. Building on the findings of the previous chapters, examples are then given of how emissions from the operation of cars with different drive technologies can be calculated. However, such considerations are not sufficient for a comprehensive assessment of the footprint of a car technology. Rather, the costs of production, the entire use phase, and possible recycling must also be considered. Such life-cycle analyses are introduced and presented using average cars as examples.