Online

carculator online 1.2.0

Make fast comparisons between different cars, under different scenarios. Save and export your results. Import them in your model.

New in 1.2.0

  • fixes a server bug which caused calculations to stall
  • uses carculator 1.6.2
  • adds Micro and Large SUV cars
  • improved mass and fuel use calibration

New in 1.1.9

  • uses carculator 1.6.0
  • fixes incorrect modelling of end-of-life

New in 1.1.8

  • uses carculator 1.5.9
  • updates electricity mix projections for EU countries from ENTSO-E 2020 TYNDP projections
  • adds mileage degradation of catalytic systems for CO, HC and NOx

New in 1.1.7

  • uses carculator 1.3.9

or

Install

carculator 1.6.2

Make detailed or fleet-wide analyses. Perform sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. Use results in other Python libraries. Export your inventories directly into Brightway2.

pip install carculator
requires python >=3.9

New in 1.6.2

  • adds Micro and Large SUV cars

New in 1.6.0

  • fixes incorrect modelling of end-of-life

New in 1.5.9

  • updates electricity mix projections for EU countries

New in 1.5.6

  • new calibration based on 2020 WLTC EU test cycle values
  • uses new electric utility factors for PHEVs based on ICCT findings
  • updates electricity mix projections for EU countries
  • adds mileage degradation of catalytic systems for CO, HC and NOx

New in 1.3.9

  • corrects issue with electricity used for cobalt mining

ABOUT

carculator is an open-source, comprehensive and transparent life cycle assessment tool for passenger cars. It allows for an economic and environmental evaluation of different types of cars under several driving and energy supply scenarios. Results partly rely on the background inventory data of ecoinvent v3.6, and the implementation of impact assessment methods therein.

Clean Code

The code is kept as clean and accessible as possible.

Great Features

Allows for fast and highly parametrized life cycle assessments.

Fast Library

A Python library version allows for even more specific assessments.

Compatible

Export inventories compatible with Brightway2.

State-of-the-art

Relies on recent published inventories to model energy chains.

Well Documented

The library is fully tested, documented and hosted on .

Some facts about

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Powertrains
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Size classes
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Driving cycles
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Parameters
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Li-ion battery types
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Electricity mixes for battery charging
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Time horizons
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Cars used for calibration

OUR TEAM

The team behind the development of carculator sits at the Paul Scherrer Institute, in the Technology Assessment group.

team member

Christian Bauer

Pilot
team member

Chris Mutel

Pit-stop manager
team member

Brian Cox

Designer (now at INFRAS)
team member

Xiaojin Zhang

Engine specialist
team member

Karin Treyer

Chief Aerodynamicist
team member

Romain Sacchi

Mechanic

OUR PARTNERS

carculator was developed within the Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research (SCCER) Efficient Technologies and Systems for Mobility funded by innosuisse. We received additional funding via the research projects ELEGANCY and Transformation towards Sustainable Transport Systems – The Next Generation Policies as well as SCCER Heat and electricity storage and SCCER Supply of Electricity

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Publications on mobility

Hydrogen production from natural gas and biomethane with carbon capture and storage – A techno-environmental analysis.
Cristina Antonini, Karin Treyer, Anne Streb, Mijndert van der Spek, Christian Bauer and Marco Mazzotti
Sustainable Energy and Fuels. 2020. DOI: 10.1039/D0SE00222D
Life cycle environmental and cost comparison of current and future passenger cars under different energy scenarios
Cox, B., Bauer, C., Mendoza Beltran, A., van Vuuren, D., and Mutel, C.
Applied Energy. 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115021
Life cycle assessment of power-to-gas with biogas as the carbon source
Xiaojin Zhang, Julia Witte, Tilman Schilhauer and Christian Bauer
Sustainable Energy and Fuels. 2020. DOI: 10.1039/C9SE00986H
Uncertain Environmental Footprint of Current and Future Battery Electric Vehicles
Brian Cox, Christopher L Mutel, Christian Bauer, Angelica Mendoza Beltran, and Detlef P. van Vuuren.
Environmental Science and Technology. 2018 52 (8), 4989-4995. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b00261
Life cycle assessment of air transportation and the Swiss commercial air transport fleet
Brian Cox, Wojciech Jemiolo, Chris Mutel
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 2018 58, 1-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2017.10.017
The environmental performance of current and future passenger vehicles: Life cycle assessment based on a novel scenario analysis framework
Christian Bauer, Johannes Hofer, Hans-Jörg Althaus, Andrea Del Duce, Andrew Simons
Applied Energy. 2015 57, 871-883. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.01.019
A life-cycle perspective on automotive fuel cells
Andrew Simons, Christian Bauer
Applied Energy. 2015 157, 884-896. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.02.049
The environmental and cost performance of current and future motorcycles
Cox, B. and Mutel, C.
Applied Energy. 2018 212, 1013-1024. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.12.100
The integration of long-term marginal electricity supply mixes in the ecoinvent consequential database version 3.4 and examination of modeling choices
Vandepaer, L., Treyer, K., Mutel, C., Bauer, C. and Amor, B.
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 2018. DOI: 10.1007/s11367-018-1571-4
Life Cycle Assessment of Power-to-Gas: Approaches, system variations and their environmental implications
Zhang, X., Bauer, C., Mutel, C. and Volkart, K.
Applied Energy. 2017 190, 326-338. DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.12.098
Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Production
Simons, A., Bauer, C.
in Transition to Hydrogen: Pathways Toward Clean Transportation, Cambridge University Press. 2011. ISBN: 9780521192880.

CONTACT US

We are always happy to hear from you.

carculator support

Write to us if you have any questions about the tool, methods or results.

Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland

carculator@psi.ch

+41 (0)56 310 2391