Hybrid solutions for agricultural vehicles: A comparative life cycle analysis from the users’ standpoint

In recent years, the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption has triggered a push towards alternative solutions for more sustainable vehicles. This trend is stimulated by increasingly stringent regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector. However, in agriculture, the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) is not aligned with the trends seen in other sectors due to technological barriers. Currently, only a few prototypal solutions for hybrid tractors have emerged due to their advantages in battery size, weight, and cost compared to fully electric solutions. In the literature, few studies have examined the environmental performance of hybrid electric tractors (HETs), mainly comparing them to conventional models in terms of work performance. Conversely, the user perspective is scarcely addressed although users' needs vary significantly depending on farm dimensions and cultivation types. The study proposes an analysis of the environmental impact of a hybrid solution by comparing it with a diesel engine Stage V and one produced under the Stage IIIb requirements. The novelty of this paper results from combining the life cycle assessment (LCA) outputs with a scenario modelling framework to uncover the potential environmental impact of the three models considering different use scenarios. Such an approach goes beyond traditional LCA analyses by providing more detailed information on the practical environmental implications related to these propulsion units. The results show that depending on the user scenario, the hybrid solution is not always the least pollutant, thus requiring further research in the HET sector to better tailor technical solutions based on the target customer.