The Effect of Electric Vehicle Conversion in Public Transportation on Carbon Emissions in Turkey

This study examines the potential change in carbon emissions if diesel, LPG, and gasoline-powered vehicles used in public transportation in Turkey were converted to fully electric vehicles. The Tier 2 approach and the Well-to-Wheel (WTW) method were applied in the emission calculations. It is calculated that if all internal combustion engine public transportation vehicles in Turkey were converted to fully electric vehicles, total carbon emissions would decrease from 12,521.57 GgCO₂ to 7,209.55 GgCO₂. This result indicates that electrification in the public transportation sector could reduce carbon emissions by approximately 42.4%. Furthermore, this reduction is expected to increase further if the energy production profile is transformed and the share of renewable energy sources in electricity generation is increased. The obtained data demonstrate that the transition to electric vehicles could play a decisive role in achieving Turkey's 2053 Net Zero Carbon targets and could significantly contribute to sustainable transportation policies.