Backliz
Do used electric cars emit less CO2e than combustion and electric cars?
Context
Backliz rents used electric cars to the professional sector
An innovative solution in a car rental market dominated by new cars, Backliz wanted to measure whether used electric cars emit less CO2e than the new combustion and electric cars usually on offer. The aim is to provide customers with a measure of the emissions they avoid by renting with Backliz, instead of new combustion or electric cars.
D-Carbonize was able to understand and analyze our needs and build us a tailor-made tool perfectly suited to our requirements.
Giovanni Apuzzo
Co-founder
About Backliz
2023
Objectives
Measuring carbon emissions from used electric cars.
Compare the carbon emissions of a used electric car with those of a new electric car and a conventional combustion-powered car.
Provide customers with an accurate measure of their emissions avoided by choosing used electric cars.
Method
#1 Calculation by substitution and depreciation
- Substitution: Assuming that leasing a used car completely replaces a new one, which means that no additional extraction of raw materials is required. Given that the extraction of raw materials accounts for over 80% of the environmental footprint of technological products.
- Depreciation: Given that the reconditioning market is often fuelled by over-consumption, depreciation only takes into account the environmental benefits of reconditioned products in relation to the duration of their previous life. So, leasing a freshly built car (for example, with only one year of prior life) doesn’t exempt you from all the emissions caused by the extraction of raw materials.
#2 Consideration of post-extraction emissions
The methodology takes into account all emissions occurring after the raw materials extraction phase, including the use of the car (electricity consumption) to compare it with a combustion-powered car, as well as the cleaning and replacement of parts provided by Backliz.
#3 Emissions modeling
The carbon experts at D-Carbonize modeled emissions from the rental of used electric cars by collecting data on the cleaning and replacement processes, as well as on each car model offered by Backliz. The emissions of each car were measured according to its weight, battery size and power consumption. These measurements were then compared with those of new combustion-powered cars and new electric cars, considering similar usage scenarios.
Results
between 0% and > 90% less emissive
Recommendation
Backliz model shows most avoided emissions, both methodologies considered, for light cars, such as city cars, which already had a long previous first life, and leased for a long time. This extends the renewal time of cars, thus their fabrication, which reduces the pressure on raw materials extraction and related emissions.
This supports the ADEME recommendations that companies and people should change their technological products, whenever it is first really necessary and then opt for secondhand or refurbished ones that has already experienced a long first life and to keep them as long as possible.
“
D-Carbonize was able to understand and analyze our needs and build us a tailor-made tool perfectly suited to our requirements. Their professionalism and capacity for innovation were the keys to this highly successful partnership. Many thanks for this exceptional collaboration, which played a decisive role in BACKLIZ’s success.
Giovanni Apuzzo
Co-founder
