The emission reduction potential of electric transport modes in Finland

Abstract

The transportation sector has become the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One solution to mitigate the impacts is a shift towards electric modes. Where previous studies have only focused on the replacement of individual modes, our study presents a more holistic approach by comparing land-based, water-based and airborne transportation modes. We study the GHG emission reduction potentials of electric cars, buses, trains, ferries and aircraft in comparison to existing modes on 34 routes within Finland and across the Baltic Sea to Sweden and Estonia. By comparing the GHG emissions in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) per passenger kilometer for each mode, we also consider the emissions generated from battery production as well as the differences in the energy mix from electricity production of the three studied countries. In addition to CO2-eq emissions per passenger kilometer, we also take real door-to-door travel times into account. Our study found that electric transportation modes possess great potential for emissions reduction. Nevertheless, depending on the energy mix used for electricity production, the emissions of electric transportation modes can exceed those of existing modes significantly. In addition, the emissions generated by battery production can have a significant share of the total emissions and should therefore always be considered. Finally, while also taking into account the door-to-door travel times, our study identified the great potential of electric aircraft to provide a less carbon intensive transportation option paired with short travel times starting on routes beyond 300 km where no high-speed rail exists as well as on routes across the water.

Carbon Intensity of Passenger Transport Modes: A Review of Emission Factors, Their Variability and the Main Drivers

“…Research studies evaluate the advantages of electrifying passenger ferries [66], but this technology is still limited to a few applications, and most LCA comparisons are focused on vessels, without considering the number of passengers that are actually transported. Other studies [67,68] are limited to CO 2 emissions during the operational phase.…”

The substitution of short-haul flights with rail services in German air travel markets: A quantitative analysis

“…Passengers must always arrive with sufficient lead time to check in to their flights or clear security, which is set at 10 min for rail services. For air itineraries, lead times depend on the size of the departure airport (similarly to Jenu et al, 2021): 90 min for large hubs (i.e. Frankfurt and Munich) and 60 min for all other airports.…”