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In electric-powered cars, the production of which is increasing, the HVAC system is responsible for most of the noise inside the car’s cabin, causing significant discomfort for passengers. Moreover, the noise produced by the HVAC affects the perceptible sound inside the car cabin, significantly impacting the perceived quality of the vehicle. It is thus essential to investigate and quantify people’s preferences concerning HVAC noise. Our previous research revealed differences in the HVAC noise between hybrid electric (HEV) and internal combustion engine (ICEV) vehicles. A subsequent factor analysis revealed that the adjectives used to describe the sounds can be grouped into two main dimensions: Aesthetic and Loudness. The present paper highlights the results of a listening test that aimed to identify possible differences in the perception of HVACs’ sound quality between Italian and Japanese subject groups, for ICEV and HEV, in different functioning conditions. Results revealed that the most remarkable difference emerges at high air flow rates, where the Japanese group perceived the quality of sound and annoyance, respectively, to be significantly lower and significantly higher than the Italian group.

In order to reduce vehicle emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) on a global scale, the scope of consideration should be expanded to include the manufacturing, fuel extraction, refinement, power generation, and end-of-life phases of a vehicle, in addition to the actual operational phase. In this paper, the CO2 emissions of conventional gasoline and diesel internal combustion engine vehicles (ICV) were compared with mainstream alternative powertrain technologies, namely battery electric vehicles (BEV), using life-cycle assessment (LCA). In most of the current studies, CO2 emissions were calculated assuming that the region where the vehicles were used, the lifetime driving distance in that region and the CO2 emission from the battery production were fixed. However, in this paper, the life cycle CO2 emissions in each region were calculated taking into consideration the vehicle’s lifetime driving distance in each region and the deviations in CO2 emissions for battery production. For this paper, the US, European Union (EU), Japan, China, and Australia were selected as the reference regions for vehicle operation. The calculated results showed that CO2 emission from the assembly of BEV was larger than that of ICV due to the added CO2 emissions from battery production. However, in regions where renewable energy sources and low CO2 emitting forms of electric power generation are widely used, as vehicle lifetime driving distance increase, the total operating CO2 emissions of BEV become less than that of ICV. But for BEV, the CO2 emissions for replacing the battery with a new one should be added when the lifetime driving distance is over 160,000 km. Moreover, it was shown that the life cycle CO2 emission of ICV was apt to be smaller than that of BEV when the CO2 emissions for battery production were very large.

This article is devoted to the ecological comparison of electric and internal combustion engine vehicles throughout their entire life cycle, from mining to recycling. A scientifically based approach to a comprehensive environmental assessment of the impact of vehicles on the environment has been developed. To analyze the impact on the environmental situation, aspects such as the consumption of natural resources, waste generation, electricity consumption, emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions are taken into consideration. As a result of comparing the environmental impacts of vehicles, it was found that natural resources consumption and production of industrial waste from electric vehicles (EV) is 6 times higher than from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). Harmful substance emissions and greenhouse gas emissions from EV production are 1.65 and 1.5 times higher, respectively. The EV total electricity consumption is 1.4 times higher than that of ICEVs. At the same time, it was revealed that during operation, EVs have higher energy consumption and emit more harmful substances into the atmosphere, but EVs produce less greenhouse gas emissions. It means that at different life cycle stages, EVs have a much higher negative impact on the environment compared to gasoline engine vehicles.

This paper presents an experimental study of the effect of the mass of dust retained on a fibrous filter bed operating singly and in a “cyclone-filter-bed” system on changes in filtration efficiency and accuracy, as well as the increase in flow resistance. The research was carried out using a novel and unprecedented method, determining the dust absorption coefficient km of the filter baffle under laboratory conditions. A filtration system built of a single cyclone and a cylindrical filter cartridge with an appropriately sized surface set behind it was studied. Conditions corresponding to the actual operating conditions of the air filter were maintained: dust concentration, filtration speed and dust extraction from the cyclone settling tank. The purpose of the research was to evaluate filter materials with different structures in terms of filtration efficiency and accuracy, as well as flow resistance. The study showed that the parameters of the structure of filter materials—permeability, grammage and thickness—affect the process of retaining dust particles. It was shown that the increase in the flow resistance of the filter bed has a higher intensity when dust grains of small sizes are directed at it, which is the case when the bed is operated behind a cyclone, which separates larger dust grains from the air. There is a reduction in the operating time of the filtration system due to the limitation of the permissible resistance ∆pfdop, and the corresponding dust absorption km has a lower value. For a fixed value of the flow resistance, the dust absorption coefficient km2 of three different filtration baffles AC, B2, and B, working with a cyclone, take values 50–100% smaller than when working in a single-stage system. It has been shown that the “cyclone-filter baffle” unit, due to its greater dust separation capability, allows the filter cartridge to operate for a longer time until a certain flow resistance is reached. This allows the unit to operate longer at lower flow resistance without changing the filter cartridge, thus saving energy. The km values obtained during the tests, using the proposed original method, allow the selection of the filter bed for specific vehicle operating conditions by modelling its course.

Since around the year 2000, following the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) to the market, some people have expressed concerns about the level of magnetic flux density (MFD) inside vehicles. In 2013, we reported the results of MFD measurements for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). However, those 2013 measurements were conducted using a chassis dynamometer, and no measurements were taken during actual driving. In recent years, with the rapid global spread of EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), the international standard IEC 62764-1:2022, which defines methods for measuring magnetic fields (MF) in vehicles, has been issued. In response, and for the first time, we conducted new MF measurements on current Japanese vehicle models in accordance with the international standard IEC 62764-1:2022, identifying the MFD levels and their sources at various positions within EVs, PHEVs, and ICEVs. The measured MFD values in all vehicle types were below the reference levels recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for public exposure. Furthermore, we performed comparative measurements with the MF data obtained in 2013 and confirmed that the MF levels remained similar. These findings are expected to provide valuable insights for risk communication with the public regarding electromagnetic fields, particularly for those concerned about MF exposure inside electrified vehicles.

This article presents the results of an experimental study focused on evaluating the potential to harvest electrical energy from vertical vibrations affecting a child car seat installed on an ISOFIX base with a support leg during real driving conditions. The objective was to measure vibration levels in the seat structure and assess the feasibility of converting this mechanical energy into electrical power. The study involved two child seat models, each tested under loads of 9 kg and 15 kg, while driving over smooth asphalt, damaged asphalt, and speed bumps. Acceleration data were collected at three key structural locations: the seat surface, the ISOFIX base, and the support leg. These measurements served as the basis for estimating the mechanical energy available and the resulting electrical output. Findings show that in poor road conditions, the system can generate enough energy to power a 10 µW sensor for more than 42 days. The results confirm the feasibility of using vibration energy harvesting to supply smart safety features such as presence detection, temperature monitoring, or posture sensing in child seats, without the need for batteries or a connection to the vehicle’s electrical system.

Transitioning to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) is thought to substantially curb emissions, promoting sustainable development. However, the extent of the problem extends beyond tailpipe emissions. To facilitate decision-making and planning of future infrastructural developments, the economic, social, and technological factors of ZEVs should also be addressed. Therefore, this work implements the circular economy paradigm to identify the most suitable vehicle type that can accelerate sustainable development by calculating circularity scores for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEVs) and two ZEVs, the Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). The circularity assessment presents a novel assessment procedure that interrelates the environmental, economic, social, and technological implications of each vehicle type on the three implementation levels of the circular economy (i.e., The macro, meso, and micro levels). The results of our analysis suggest that not all ZEVs are considered sustainable alternatives to ICEVs. BEVs scored the highest relative circularity score of 36.8% followed by ICEVs and FCEVs scoring 32.9% and 30.3% respectively. The results obtained in this study signify the importance of conducting circular economy performance assessments as planning tools as this assessment methodology interrelate environmental, social, economic, and technological factors which are integral for future infrastructural and urban planning.

The transportation industry has led efforts to fight climate change and reduce air pollution. Autonomous electric vehicles (A-EVs) that use artificial intelligence, next-generation batteries, etc., are predicted to replace conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) in the coming years. In this study, we performed a life cycle assessment to analyze A-EVs and compare their impacts with those from EV and ICEV systems. The scope of the analysis consists of the manufacturing and use phases, and a functional unit of 150,000 miles·passenger was chosen for the assessment. Our results on the impacts from the manufacturing phase of the analyzed systems show that the A-EV systems have higher impacts than other transportation systems in the majority of the impacts categories analyzed (e.g., global warming potential, ozone depletion, human toxicity-cancer) and, on average, EV systems were found to be the slightly more environmentally friendly than ICEV systems. The high impacts in A-EV are due to additional components such as cameras, sonar, and radar. In comparing the impacts from the use phase, we also analyzed the impact of automation and found that the use phase impacts of A-EVs outperform EV and ICEV in many aspects, including global warming potential, acidification, and smog formation. To interpret the results better, we also investigated the impacts of electricity grids on the use phase impact of alternative transportation options for three representative countries with different combinations of renewable and conventional primary energy resources such as hydroelectric, nuclear, and coal. The results revealed that A-EVs used in regions that have hydropower-based electric mix become the most environmentally friendly transportation option than others.

The automobile industry is shifting from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) or electric vehicles (EVs) extremely fast. Our calculation regarding the most popular private car brand in Bangladesh, Toyota, shows that the life cycle cost (LCC) of a Toyota BZ3 (EV), USD 43,409, is more expensive than a Toyota Aqua (HEV) and Toyota Prius (HEV), but cheaper than a Toyota Axio (ICEV) and Toyota Allion (ICEV). It has been found that about a 25% reduction in the acquisition cost of a Toyota BZ3 would lower its LCC to below others. EVs can be a good choice for those who travel a lot. Changes in electricity prices have little effect upon the LCC of EVs. With the expected decline in the annual price for batteries, which is between 6 and 9%, and the improvement of their capacities, EVs will be more competitive with other vehicles by 2030 or even earlier. EVs will dominate the market since demand for alternative fuel-powered vehicles is growing due to their environmental and economic advantages.

Regarding the goals for achieving carbon neutrality by 2025, the transportation sector is one of the main causes of various environmental burdens, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and resource depletion, so reducing the environmental impact of the automobile industry is important. Although many countries are conducting numerous studies on the environmental impact of electric vehicles, they are limited to each country’s vehicles and models, and are limited to the production and process stages. In this study, we compared and analyzed the carbon reductions in electric and internal combustion engine vehicles during the operation stage for the most commonly used mid-sized rental vehicles in South Korea. The research results confirmed a reduction effect of approximately 1 MtCO2-eq per year based on approximately 570,000 vehicles, and, if applied to all passenger vehicles nationwide, an average annual reduction effect of approximately 36 MtCO2 can be expected. This figure corresponds to a reduction of approximately 30% in domestic transportation sector carbon emissions in 2024. This study is expected to have potential as a strategic indicator to start with, tailorable to the characteristics of each country’s transportation sector’s decarbonization processes.