Is the electric car really greener and cheaper? A coupled life cycle and total cost of ownership analysis of a petrol and an electric Volkswagen Golf in the Hungarian context
Abstract
Electric cars are increasingly popular on the assumption that they have a low environmental impact. Yet, battery production is an exceptionally polluting process, and their higher purchase price calls into question their economic competitiveness. Hence, the electric car is not a perfect alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles; it requires context-specific investigation. This study couples a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis of two near-identical vehicles. A petrol Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSi and an electric e-Golf (both 2019), plus a solar-charged variant of the latter, from production to 200,000 km, using a transparent, openly shared model parameterised for Hungary. The Golf’s production emissions are 44% of the e-Golf’s, but over 200,000 km, the Golf emits 103% more CO₂-equivalent than the grid-charged e-Golf and 222% more than the solar-charged one, reaching environmental break-even after approximately 38,000 and 30,000 km. Economically, the Golf is 10% and 28% more expensive to own, with financial break-even occurring after approximately 62,000 and 66,000 km, respectively. Only 16.7% of the money spent on petrol, against 70.4% for electricity, is converted into useful motion. Mass adoption of electric cars is thus an environmentally optimal direction, maximised by renewable charging, but it leaves open questions about public revenue sustainability that deserve further investigation.
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