Vehicle exhaust doesn’t just stink, it kills. Pollution
from cars, trucks, planes, trains, and boats causes serious harm to
both public health and our climate. Today, the transportation
sector serves as one of the largest sources of climate
change-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—accounting for a
staggering 25% of state GHG emissions.
Pollutants from vehicle exhaust span a wide range,
from particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and
nitrogen oxides (NOx) to other greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
While their names may seem innocuous, their impact on human health
when regularly inhaled is dire. PM2.5 alone—particulate
matter made of fine inhalable particles about 30 times smaller than a single hair from your
head—causes at least 1000,000 premature deaths per
year. What’s more, studies show that
under-resourced communities, children, the elderly, and people of color are
disproportionately harmed by this traffic-related air pollution, even
though residents of these communities generally drive and
contribute to other forms of pollution less than residents of wealthier,
majority-white areas.
Fortunately, electric vehicles—which have low
or no tailpipe emissions—serve as one method of a multi-pronged
solution for decarbonizing our economy and
lowering GHG emissions. Thanks to decades of work by Fresh Energy
and its partners, we making huge strides in both
generating cleaner electricity that emits less GHGs and powering end-use
sectors like transportation with that cleaner electricity.
By encouraging more widespread electric
vehicle adoption alongside active transportation like walking
and biking and increased investments in electrified public transit, we taking
significant steps towards meeting its GHG emissions reduction goals.
Simultaneously, these steps help many states to improve air quality and build
healthier communities, particularly those that experience higher amounts of
traffic-related air pollution.
BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Transport is a fundamental requirement of modern life, but
the traditional combustion engine is quickly becoming outdated. Petrol or
diesel vehicles are highly polluting and are being quickly replaced by fully
electric vehicles. Fully electric vehicles (EV) have zero tailpipe emissions
and are much better for the environment. The electric vehicle revolution is here,
and you can be part of it. Will your next vehicle be an electric one?
Lower running costs
The running cost of an electric vehicle is much lower than
an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle. Electric vehicles use electricity to
charge their batteries instead of using fossil fuels like petrol or diesel.
Electric vehicles are more efficient, and that combined with the electricity
cost means that charging an electric vehicle is cheaper than filling petrol or
diesel for your travel requirements. Using renewable energy sources can make
the use of electric vehicles more eco-friendly. The electricity cost can be
reduced further if charging is done with the help of renewable energy sources
installed at home, such as solar panels.
Low maintenance cost
Electric vehicles have very low maintenance costs because
they don’t have as many moving parts as an internal combustion vehicle. The
servicing requirements for electric vehicles are lesser than the conventional
petrol or diesel vehicles. Therefore, the yearly cost of running an electric
vehicle is significantly low.
Zero Tailpipe Emissions
Driving an electric vehicle can help you reduce your carbon
footprint because there will be zero tailpipe emissions. You can reduce the
environmental impact of charging your vehicle further by choosing renewable
energy options for home electricity.
Tax and financial benefits
Registration fees and road tax on purchasing electric
vehicles are lesser than petrol or diesel vehicles. There are multiple policies
and incentives offered by the government depending on which state you are in.
Petrol and diesel use is destroying our planet
The availability of fossil fuels is limited, and their use
is destroying our planet. Toxic emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles lead
to long-term, adverse effects on public health. The emissions impact of
electric vehicles is much lower than petrol or diesel vehicles. From an
efficiency perspective, electric vehicles can covert around 60% of the
electrical energy from the grid to power the wheels, but petrol or diesel cars
can only convert 17%-21% of the energy stored in the fuel to the wheels. That is
a waste of around 80%. Fully electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions,
but even when electricity production is taken into account, petrol or diesel
vehicles emit almost 3 times more carbon dioxide than the average EV. To reduce
the impact of charging electric vehicles, India is ambitious to achieve about
40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil
fuel-based energy resources by the year 2030. Therefore, electric vehicles are
the way forward for Indian transport, and we must switch to them now.
Electric Vehicles are easy to drive and quiet
Electric vehicles don’t have gears and are very convenient
to drive. There are no complicated controls, just accelerate, brake, and steer.
When you want to charge your vehicle, just plug it in to a home or public
charger. Electric vehicles are also quiet, so they reduce noise pollution that
traditional vehicles contribute to.
The convenience of charging at home
Imagine being at a busy fuel station during peak hours, and
you are getting late to reach your workplace. These problems can easily be
overcome with an electric vehicle. Simply plug your vehicle in at your home
charger for 4-5 hours before you plan to go. If you are able to get a charger
where you park at home, it is very convenient to plan your journeys in advance.
What if you forget to plug in your machine someday? Then you can easily take
the help of fast chargers or even battery swapping services if you are on a
two-wheeler on the road.
No noise pollution
Electric vehicles have the silent functioning capability as
there is no engine under the hood. No engine means no noise. The electric motor
functions so silently that you need to peek into your instrument panel to check
if it is ON. Electric vehicles are so silent that manufacturers have to add
false sounds in order to make them safe for pedestrians.