Abstract
Because of their high energy efficiencies and low emissions, fuel-cell
vehicles (FCVs) are undergoing extensive research and development.
While hydrogen will likely be the ultimate fuel to power fuel-cell
vehicles, because of current infrastructure constraints, hydrogen-carrying
fuels are being investigated as transitional fuel-cell fuels. A complete
well-to-wheels (WTW) evaluation of fuel-cell vehicle energy and emission
effects that examines (1) energy feedstock recovery and transportation;
(2) fuel production, transportation, and distribution; and (3) vehicle
operation must be conducted to assist decision makers in selecting
the fuel-cell fuels that achieve the greatest energy and emission
benefits.A fuel-cycle model developed at Argonne National Laboratory--called
the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation
(GREET) model--was used to evaluate well-to-wheels energy and emission
impacts of various fuel-cell fuels. The results show that different
fuel-cell fuels can have significantly different energy and greenhouse
gas emission effects. Therefore, if fuel-cell vehicles are to achieve
the envisioned energy and emission reduction benefits, pathways for
producing the fuels that power them must be carefully examined.
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