Green NCAP has announced the first results for its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), examining all processes and flows of resources and energy associated with the car’s production, usage, and recycling. Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA, is the method that estimates these individual contributions to predict the car’s environmental impact over its entire lifetime.

The results show that total estimated greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy demand, and the respective contributions at different phases and time in the life cycle, may vary significantly depending on the propulsion system, the energy carrier and other factors. For conventional vehicles, the burning of fossil fuel during the operational phase accounts for most of the life cycle emissions and energy demand. This is different for electric cars for which the production phase on average accounts for a larger share of the total, while emissions in usage can vary depending on the portion of energy from non-renewable sources in the electricity used for charging. Electric cars have zero local greenhouse gas emissions and show overall the best LCA numbers in the European average. Not every car of the same powertrain type is equal too: the LCA analysis clearly shows that the impact of vehicle mass and size remains significant for all vehicle types. The same can be said about how cars are driven – relaxed or sporty. Additionally to optimizing their driving style, consumers that chose plug-in hybrid cars can help reduce the impact on the climate by making sure their cars are always fully charged.

Green NCA says that while it is still too early to consider an all-encompassing star rating system based on LCA, the information provided underlines the importance of adopting a holistic approach towards the real-life cycle environmental impact of modern cars and the role LCA will play in consumer information programmes.

Green NCAP makes its life cycle assessment details available for information purposes only, without ranking of better or worse cars. The next step, coming soon, is the launch of an interactive LCA platform, allowing consumers to examine LCA results based on their own local parameters and car use.

For more information on how Green NCAP conducts LCA, see here.