Can Electric Vehicles Be 'Environmental Villains'?

Researchers from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) found in a new study assessing the life cycle air quality impacts on human health of 10 alternatives to conventional gasoline vehicles “that electric vehicles (EVs) powered by electricity from natural gas or wind, water, or solar power are best for improving air quality, whereas vehicles powered by corn ethanol and EVs powered by coal are the worst.”  This study entitled Life cycle air quality impacts of conventional and alternative light-duty transportation in the United States and published in the renowned scientific journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ (PNAS) constitutes an important contribution to the debate over “environmental impacts of conventional versus alternative transportation options.”  Importantly, the authors – Christopher W. Tessum, Jason D. Hill, and Julian D. Marshall – emphasizethat their “results reinforce previous findings that air quality-related health damages from transportation are generally comparable to or larger than climate change-related damages.”

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