Electric vehicles or “EVs” have become the darling of the clean energy movement. The potential greenhouse gas reduction of removing hundreds of millions of vehicles from the road and replacing their gasoline and diesel combustion with electricity from clean sources is a home run in reducing our unsustainable greenhouse gas emission rate. In the US, transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, electrifying cars and trucks is a key step to meet our climate change goals. Although there are logistical issues about powering batteries conveniently and finding the raw materials to make more batteries, EVs are growing tremendously in sales and is beginning to make an impact on climate change.

But there turns out to be an additional major benefit of EVs that is unrecognized and that is the improvement of public health. Researchers in California have shown that the reduction in immediate tailpipe emissions by the growth in electric car use is already keeping asthma patients out of emergency rooms. Besides reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally, the reduction in localized emissions from not combusting a fuel is having a positive public health effect. No combustion or its byproducts means zero carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, VOC, etc. emissions. These compounds, when inhaled, can lead to high blood pressure, emphysema, and asthma attacks. Air pollution contributes to as many as 200,000 deaths per year in the US. Vehicular emissions have an inordinate effect on these figures because of the release point of these pollutants, at the ground level, giving the atmosphere less of an opportunity to dilute the compounds before being breathed in by the public. Replacing internal combustion cars and trucks for electric vehicles would lessen the exposure to these compounds linked to health problems.

A recent study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment based on actual usage and admissions found that in California, every 20 zero-emissions vehicles per 1,000 people led to a 3.2% drop in the rate of emergency room visits due to asthma. The study did note that this decline occurred primarily in wealthier communities which have more people that can afford EVs. Poorer communities face both a higher air pollution baseline and fewer people with the means to drive around in an EV. The study examined many California communities, tracking electric vehicle registration and local measurements of nitrogen dioxide, which has been linked to respiratory problems and can trigger formation of other pollutants, such as ozone. In one area, EV registration increased 10-fold over a 7-year period, yet emergency room visits for asthma declined.

The study also noted that EVs can cause more of a certain class of air pollutants, particulate matter, as EVs are generally heavier than equivalent fuel-burning vehicles (weight of batteries), which can lead to more particulate emissions due to rubber meeting the road while they eliminate pollutants from their exhaust.

CCES has the experts to help you assess the air pollution from your fleets and from your stationary sources, as well, and to determine the most cost-effective ways to reduce your air emissions for the health of your staff and customers and to meet air pollution regulations and your permits. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.