A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles

The use of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) is increasingly recognized as a vital strategy for achieving comprehensive decarbonization in the transportation industry. However, research on the sustainability of FCEVs remains limited. The assessment of their sustainability is complicated and conten...

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Main Authors: Zhensen Ding, Lingjun Song, Haifeng Fang, Zhanhui Yao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225002404
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author Zhensen Ding
Lingjun Song
Haifeng Fang
Zhanhui Yao
author_facet Zhensen Ding
Lingjun Song
Haifeng Fang
Zhanhui Yao
author_sort Zhensen Ding
collection DOAJ
description The use of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) is increasingly recognized as a vital strategy for achieving comprehensive decarbonization in the transportation industry. However, research on the sustainability of FCEVs remains limited. The assessment of their sustainability is complicated and contentious due to the absence of a universally accepted methodology for sustainability analysis. This study conducted a thorough literature review, identifying 135 studies related to the sustainability of FCEVs within the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases, covering the years 2012 to 2024. The identified studies encompassed environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. The investigation systematically assessed critical components of sustainability analysis methodologies, including impact indicators, life cycle stages, and life cycle inventories. Furthermore, a novel research framework for sustainability analysis was proposed. Using this framework, the study examined the sustainability of FCEVs and conducted an in-depth analysis of two pivotal factors: the technical pathway and durability. The results indicate that essential elements, such as system boundaries, inventory analysis, and impact assessment within the sustainability research methodology for FCEVs, continue to encounter significant challenges. The adoption of a holistic evaluation approach may enhance the development of a sustainability research framework. According to the framework presented in this study, FCEVs exhibit considerable potential for sustainability. Existing research has explored the effects of various technological pathways on vehicle structure, fuel cell types, electrical architecture, and key components, as well as the implications of durability.
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spelling doaj-art-5cf5dea478494c549fdd3f6390ec24c12025-08-22T04:58:05ZengElsevierTransportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives2590-19822025-07-013210156110.1016/j.trip.2025.101561A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehiclesZhensen Ding0Lingjun Song1Haifeng Fang2Zhanhui Yao3School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Beihang University, 100191 Beijing, PR China; Center for Automotive Strategy and Policy Research, China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd., 300300 Tianjin, PR China; Corresponding authors.School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Beihang University, 100191 Beijing, PR ChinaCenter for Automotive Strategy and Policy Research, China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd., 300300 Tianjin, PR China; Corresponding authors.Center for Automotive Strategy and Policy Research, China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd., 300300 Tianjin, PR ChinaThe use of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) is increasingly recognized as a vital strategy for achieving comprehensive decarbonization in the transportation industry. However, research on the sustainability of FCEVs remains limited. The assessment of their sustainability is complicated and contentious due to the absence of a universally accepted methodology for sustainability analysis. This study conducted a thorough literature review, identifying 135 studies related to the sustainability of FCEVs within the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases, covering the years 2012 to 2024. The identified studies encompassed environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. The investigation systematically assessed critical components of sustainability analysis methodologies, including impact indicators, life cycle stages, and life cycle inventories. Furthermore, a novel research framework for sustainability analysis was proposed. Using this framework, the study examined the sustainability of FCEVs and conducted an in-depth analysis of two pivotal factors: the technical pathway and durability. The results indicate that essential elements, such as system boundaries, inventory analysis, and impact assessment within the sustainability research methodology for FCEVs, continue to encounter significant challenges. The adoption of a holistic evaluation approach may enhance the development of a sustainability research framework. According to the framework presented in this study, FCEVs exhibit considerable potential for sustainability. Existing research has explored the effects of various technological pathways on vehicle structure, fuel cell types, electrical architecture, and key components, as well as the implications of durability.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225002404Fuel cell electric vehiclesScoping reviewLife cycle sustainability assessmentDevelopment path
spellingShingle Zhensen Ding
Lingjun Song
Haifeng Fang
Zhanhui Yao
A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles
Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Fuel cell electric vehicles
Scoping review
Life cycle sustainability assessment
Development path
title A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles
title_full A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles
title_fullStr A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles
title_full_unstemmed A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles
title_short A review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles
title_sort review on sustainability assessment of fuel cell electric vehicles
topic Fuel cell electric vehicles
Scoping review
Life cycle sustainability assessment
Development path
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225002404
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