A Well-to-Wheels Water Consumption Analysis of Vehicle Energy Sources in Türkiye

Vehicles contribute significantly not only to global energy consumption and emissions but also to water resource depletion. This study aims to identify the energy sources associated with lower water consumption for vehicles in Türkiye, with a specific focus on WTW water consumption. While centered on Türkiye, the findings offer broader implications for the transportation sector. A Well-to-Wheel (WTW) analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of technological evolution, vehicle and fuel types, fuel production pathways, and electricity generation mixes. Historical transportation statistics from 2013 to 2023 were utilized to assess trends in WTW water consumption, and hypothetical limiting scenarios for 2040 and 2050 were developed. The results indicate a declining trend in average vehicular WTW water consumption over time. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the lowest average WTW water consumption values were associated with LPG-powered vehicles. Regarding the hypothetical scenarios, wind and solar energy sources yielded the lowest average WTW water-consumption values.