Electric vehicles are not just the wave of the future, they are saving lives today

The document outlines how electric vehicles, including cars, buses, and trucks, reduce climate pollution and public health risks compared to internal combustion engines. It highlights that EVs have lower lifetime greenhouse gas emissions despite higher manufacturing footprints and emphasizes the need for expanded charging infrastructure to ensure equitable access. The text specifically details California's leadership in mandating zero-emissions vehicles and investing in electric transit and trucking infrastructure.

• Electric vehicles are categorized into battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles, and now encompass a range of transport including transit buses, trucks, and big-rig tractor trailers.
• Transportation is the largest source of climate pollution in the United States, and combustion from gasoline and diesel engines contributes to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution, which is linked to COVID-19 mortality, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, and premature death.
• Research from Duke University indicates that each gallon of gasoline has up to $3.80 in health and environmental costs, while diesel in farm equipment and big rigs carries an additional $4.80 in social costs per gallon.
• Electric vehicles produce lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline cars regardless of the electricity source's cleanliness, and they typically offset their higher manufacturing emissions within 18 months of driving.
• The average electric car currently on the road has greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to a gasoline car achieving 88 miles per gallon, significantly outperforming the average new gasoline car (31 mpg) or truck (21 mpg).
• California is leading the transition to zero-emissions transport through a commitment to a 100% electric transit bus fleet by 2040, over $1 billion in utility investments for charging infrastructure, and the first electric truck manufacturing standard in the U.S. starting in 2024.
• In California, gas and diesel trucks are responsible for nearly half of the state's transportation-related air pollution, despite being outnumbered by passenger cars.
• The ZEV mandate, which requires a specific percentage of vehicle purchases in California to be zero emissions, has been adopted by ten states via the Clean Air Act.

APA

Earthjustice (2022). Electric vehicles are not just the wave of the future, they are saving lives today. https://earthjustice.org/feature/electric-vehicles-explainer

Chicago

Earthjustice. Electric vehicles are not just the wave of the future, they are saving lives today. 2022. https://earthjustice.org/feature/electric-vehicles-explainer.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Electric vehicles are not just the wave of the future, they are saving lives today |date=30 December 2022 |url=https://earthjustice.org/feature/electric-vehicles-explainer |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2022electric, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Electric vehicles are not just the wave of the future, they are saving lives today}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://earthjustice.org/feature/electric-vehicles-explainer}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }