Accelerating the Electric Vehicle Transition

This executive summary outlines the necessity of deploying over 50 million electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States within a decade to align the transportation sector with 1.5°C global warming limits, specifically highlighting the role of transportation network company (TNC) ridehailing services in accelerating this transition.

• To limit global warming to 1.5°C, the United States needs to deploy more than 50 million electric vehicles over the next 10 years.
• Electrifying ridehailing vehicles from transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft can catalyze the broader EV transition by increasing the availability of efficient, low-cost charging infrastructure, reducing operational costs, and improving public awareness and education.
• Based on an analysis of 100 million miles of ridehailing data, the report identifies three primary barriers to EV implementation: technological capability (which is now generally viable), financial competitiveness (requiring lower prices, better charging access, and new leasing/rental models), and the need for robust charging infrastructure.

APA

RMI (2021). Accelerating the Electric Vehicle Transition. https://rmi.org/resources/accelerating-the-electric-vehicle-transition/

Chicago

RMI. Accelerating the Electric Vehicle Transition. 2021. https://rmi.org/resources/accelerating-the-electric-vehicle-transition/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Accelerating the Electric Vehicle Transition |date=6 January 2021 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/accelerating-the-electric-vehicle-transition/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2021accelerating, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Accelerating the Electric Vehicle Transition}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2021}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/accelerating-the-electric-vehicle-transition/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }