Resource depletion in an electric vehicle powertrain using different LCA impact methods

•The use of the components is the largest contributor to abiotic depletion impact.•Depletion impact is mainly related to the consumption of energetic resources.•Efficiency during use is the most relevant parameter to reduce total depletion impact.•Gaps in CFs coverage have a significant effect, mainly in the inverter analysis.•There are disagreements among results found via the different impact methods.

The growing demand for electric vehicles entails an increased consumption of critical energetic and non-energetic abiotic resources, necessary for an optimal performance of the vehicle. The depletion of these resources and the future availability to meet their demand appears to be a potential limitation for the expansion of the electrified vehicle industry. The goal of this study is to perform a detailed life cycle analysis, including manufacturing, use and disposal, of key components of EV powertrains, identifying materials and processes responsible for abiotic depletion impact. This study also investigates the sensitivity of the results to the choice of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) impact methods. For this, a LCA is performed on an integrated electric drive, by considering seven impact methods. Results show that energetic resources consumption generate the largest impact, followed by metals and lastly by mineral resources. The consumption of electricity in each life cycle is a crucial factor in the generation of total impact. There are agreements among methods on the materials and processes contributing the most to depletion, given the differences in approach used by each impact method.