A comprehensive methodology for the assessment of decarbonization strategies in transportation

Among the challenges to decarbonize the transport sector are inconsistent methodologies and unclear emission scopes. We present a comprehensive and transparent methodology that integrates life cycle assessment and total cost of ownership to calculate the levelized cost of carbon abatement as a harmonized metric. Through methodological extensions such as the emission saving potential indicator and the emission and cost delta diagram and by incorporating key factors such as infrastructure needs, vehicle characteristics, and energy supply pathways, the methodology enables consistent comparison of technological and behavioral decarbonization strategies. The methodology is applied to a case study on the German heavy-duty long-haul transport, assessing four decarbonization scenarios involving battery-electric and fuel-cell-electric vehicles. Results show that battery-electric vehicles using electric road systems are most economically feasible and have the lowest global warming potential with 62% emission savings compared to the diesel baseline. The approach supports transparent, data-driven policymaking for effective climate-aligned transport strategies.