Solutions Series: Electric Vehicles

In the U.S., transportation produces the most greenhouse gas emissions of any sector. Switching from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles is therefore an important component of our efforts to combat climate change.

Climate Central’s latest climate solutions brief offers a primer on electric vehicles, and how they can enable us to shrink transportation emissions. To reach the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, electric vehicles (EVs) will need to make up the majority of vehicle sales by 2030. 

Improvements from EV adoption will also improve air quality and health. Princeton researchers found that a transition to electric vehicles could avoid as many as 165,000 deaths by 2050. Most health benefits are concentrated in states with dense urban areas such as California, New York and Florida, and particularly among marginalized communities situated near highways. 

The transition to EVs is also creating new jobs in manufacturing, as well as the installation of charging devices and upgrading of electrical systems. However, industry experts expect that, since EVs are less prone to mechanical failures, auto repair jobs may decline as EVs replace conventional vehicles.