Team: 25
School: Justice Code/International/Harrison
Area of Science: Environmental Science
Interim: Problem Definition: The debate surrounding the efficacy of electric vehicles as opposed to conventional gasoline vehicles is continuous. It is often thought that electric vehicles contribute less to carbon emissions, but when the production and actual usage of both types of vehicles are considered, does the use of electric cars actually result in a smaller carbon footprint? This is the issue we intend to explore with this project.
Problem Solution: Using NetLogo, we plan to simulate an environment in which there are hundreds of agents (representing cars), and every agent has a lifespan, annual carbon footprint, initial carbon footprint (post-production), and other specifications. The model will also display the carbonic emissions of various models of cars (electric and conventional) and show the correlation of these emissions with elapsed time.
Progress to Date: To date, we have compiled information regarding the general production process of electric and conventional gasoline vehicles, the carbon emissions during various stages in the lifespan of a Tesla Model 3, and the number of cars of each type present in the United States (in 2022, 156,357 Tesla Model 3s, 22,015 Chevy Bolt EVs, 13,708 Chevrolet Sparks, and 25,781 Mazda 3s were sold). A 2019 study of the carbon footprint of the Tesla Model 3 found that its raw material acquisition, production, and usage stages emitted approximately 62 g CO2e/km, 10 g CO2e/km, and 304 g CO2e/km, respectively. The four vehicles with which we narrowed the scope of our research are the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, 2022 Chevrolet Spark, Tesla Model 3, and 2022 Mazda 3, as they have similar builds and are comparable (although not entirely identical) in terms of specifications. While we have yet to find specific information regarding the emissions released from the production processes of three out of four vehicles, we have found general information regarding this topic. From our research regarding carbon emissions from the general production process of electric and gasoline vehicles, we found that resource extraction is the most energy-intensive part of vehicle production and saw that the manufacturing impact of vehicles like Teslas is equivalent to that of a standard full-size combustion car. As we progress, we hope to find more specific, accurate information about our selected vehicles and begin building a model.
Expected Results: By compiling information and creating a well-functioning model that is analogous to and supported by research, we expect to find that, overall, electric cars have a smaller carbon footprint (and impact on the environment) than conventional gasoline vehicles.
Works Cited
https://environment.co/carbon-footprint-of-car-manufacturing/
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/chevrolet-bolt-sales-figures-usa-canada-monthly-yearly/
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/mazda-3-sales-figures/
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/the-bestselling-electric-cars-of-2022-not-just-tesla/
https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offsets-credits/cars/tesla/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20a%20Tesla%20Model,g%20CO2e%2Fmi
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337867173_Carbon_Footprint_Study_of_Tesla_Model_3
Team Members:
Aileen Ukwuoma
Alexandrina Ukwuoma
Isaac Rankin
Sponsoring Teacher: Caia Brown