UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies

In order to assess the state of knowledge of the private and social lifetime cost (LC) of conventional and alternative-powertrain vehicles (mainly electric vehicles), we reviewed and evaluated 190 LC studies published between 2000 and 2020. Our main objective was to determine which aspects of the LC of motor vehicles were well researched and well analyzed, and which aspects were less well researched and analyzed and accordingly would benefit most from a focused new research effort. 

 In general, few studies are comprehensive (cover all components of the LC), original (as opposed to reliant on other work), and detailed (as opposed to being based on simple assumptions).

A spreadsheet accompanying this report evaluates all of the studies.