2. Analysis and Discussion
2.1. Energy Efficiency Comparison
assuming energy is derived from
renewable resources
A vehicleís well-to-wheel pathway is
the pathway between the original source
of energy (e.g. a wind farm) and the
wheels of the car. The pathwayís
components are the energy conversion,
distribution, and storage stages required
to transport and convert the energy that
eventually moves the automobile. Thus,
analyzing the efficiency of each vehicleís
well-to-wheel pathway allows us to
determine the total amount of energy
required to move each vehicle.
Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 illustrate the
pathways for BEVs and FCVs,
respectively. The first stage of both
pathways is the generation of electricity.
Since presumably we are concerned with
the long-run development of a
sustainable transportation infrastructure,
we first assume that the electricity is
generated by a non-fossil fuel resource
like hydroelectric, solar, wind,
geothermal, or a combination. All of
these sources are used to generate energy