electric car and gasoline car concept. hand holding gas pump and power connector for refuel
Transportation creates the most pollution of any sector of the American economy, according to an article in The Hill, written by Dan Zotos, communications director for the Zero Emission Transportation Association. Inefficient gas-powered cars and trucks release pollutants into the air, which are directly linked to respiratory problems and are key contributors to climate change. This pollution problem can be solved by “electrifying” the transportation sector, Zotos says.
Zotos goes on to say, “Transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) will eliminate dangerous tailpipe emissions and bolster our nation’s fight against climate change. The cost savings of the EV transition will be profound, too. In tandem with a cleaner grid, achieving 100% EV sales by 2030 will generate $1.3 trillion in health and environmental cost savings in the coming decades. American workers stand to gain from a resurgent EV auto manufacturing industry and building a robust national EV charging network will create good-paying jobs and stimulate local economies across the country. In fact, manufacturing and installing EV charging infrastructure creates more than 12 jobs per million dollars of investment – a higher job-to-cost ratio than highway maintenance or traditional auto manufacturing.
Zotos is encouraging Congress to accelerate the nation’s transition to EVs through targeted investments. Congress has already begun to supply funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which will appropriate $7.5 billion for EV charging infrastructure. These funds will be prioritized for rural and front-line communities, which disproportionately bear the staggering costs of climate change and poor air quality. Building hundreds of thousands of new charging stations will drastically improve EV consumer adoption, especially in communities that will most benefit from electrified transportation.
According to Zosos, additional support is needed to construct a national charging network and to ensure widespread domestic EV adoption. “To build sufficient charging stations to accommodate an electrified vehicle fleet, Congress will need to invest at least $20 billion to $30 billion over the next 10 years. The federal government must also expand investment tax credits for businesses that build charging infrastructure, and it must bolster EV purchase incentives for consumers.”
Source: The Hill
