Abstract
The influence of electric vehicles (EVs) on photochemical pollution and air temperature under a mid-summer condition in 2010 was investigated by using a numerical model. The objective area was about 100 km square region centered on the Osaka plain. All of the current passenger cars and the mini-cars were assumed to be changed from internal combustion ve hicles to EVs. Based on existing emission inventories, the changes in the emission amount of pollutants and sensible heat were estimated by fully top-down approaches. Additional power demand by EVs was assumed to be supplied from the lo cal thermal power plants within the objective area. The emission amount from the power plants were estimated for the cases with/without nuclear power plants (NPPs). The impacts of EVs on the ozone pollution level and on the thermal environment were evaluated by accumulated values over a certain threshold. By the shift to EV, each emission amount of NOx, NMVOC and CO2 decreases, and the pollution level becomes lower. The decrease amount is large in the northern and eastern inland areas. Such a tendency relates to the sea breeze path and the photochemical regime in the study area. Mitigation effect on the hot environment near the ground surface is very small. Substitution of NPPs by thermal power plants increases regional emission amount of NOx largely and increases pollu tion level slightly. By the shift to EV, emission amount of CO2 increases; however, pollution level becomes lower than the current level.
