Impact of Promoting Fuel Cell Vehicles on Urban Air Quality and Health Benefits

Abstract

Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are considered a promising clean energy transportation option with significant potential to alleviate urban air pollution. However, their environmental benefits are not fixed but are influenced by various factors, including vehicle usage patterns and road conditions, which in turn affect air quality and public health. This study takes Xi’an as a case study and employs the COPERT model to develop a 2020 emission inventory for FCVs. Future vehicle ownership in 2035 is projected under low, medium, and high electrification scenarios using multiple models. The WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ modeling system is utilized to simulate air quality changes, while the BenMap-CE model is applied to assess health benefits. The results indicate that under the high electrification scenario, pollutant emissions are reduced by 64.59%–88.86% compared to 2020 levels, with pollutant concentrations exhibiting a gradient distribution along the road network. In winter, CO, NO₂, and PM₂.₅ concentrations are significantly higher than in summer. Improved air quality leads to substantial health benefits related to PM₂.₅, with the high electrification scenario preventing an estimated 770 premature deaths and generating up to 400 million CNY in economic benefits. These findings demonstrate that the widespread adoption of FCVs can effectively reduce urban traffic-related pollution burdens and yield significant environmental and health co-benefits, providing a scientific basis for clean transportation policymaking.