Carbon Emission Variations for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles after Coronavirus Disease 19: An Empirical Case in Chongqing, China

ABSTRACT

Owing to the lockdowns associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic, carbon emissions were significantly reduced. However, the accurate impacts on the personal transport sector since then remain unclear. To further investigate the influence of sudden public health emergencies on actual carbon emissions from personal electric vehicles, this paper examined the travel patterns and corresponding carbon emissions of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) operating in Chongqing, China, before and after COVID-19. The results revealed that the pandemic has reshaped the travel patterns of vehicle drivers, with a 9 % reduction in the postpandemic fleet average daily travel mileage. Currently, the total daily carbon emissions of a PHEV with a range of 80 km (PHEV80) are 6.24 kg, which is 13 % lower than emissions from conventional vehicles and 32 % higher than those from electric battery-powered vehicles before the pandemic. Since COVID-19, there has been a 24 % decrease in carbon emissions from PHEV80 vehicles for the fleet and a 30 % maximum increase for individuals. Furthermore, considering the integration of 50 % renewable energy into China’s power grid by 2025, PHEVs can better mitigate the fluctuations in carbon emissions associated with sudden public health emergencies compared with conventional vehicles.