In our two-part blog series on the myths of electric vehicles (EVs), we address misleading myths that persist and counter these misrepresentations with a clearer picture of reality. In the first blog, we debunked myths around the true cost and experience of driving an EV, and the lie -- largely invented by the auto industry -- that the public just isn’t that into these clean, fun cars. In this blog installment, we’ll dive into the positive social impact that zero-emission vehicles have on our society by addressing some of the more harmful mischaracterizations about EVs not being ethical or equitable alternatives to vehicles that emit harmful pollution.
MYTH: “EVs are just as harmful to our climate as vehicles powered by oil”
TRUTH: This myth persists despite the evidence to the contrary. Analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that, no matter where you are in the U.S., charging an EV is far cleaner than driving a gasoline-powered vehicle. Charging an EV has the same emissions as a car with 50 MPG for 75% of U.S. drivers, and the MPG equivalent is higher in regions that have cleaner power grids: 109 MPG in California and 191 MPG in New York.
Thanks to more renewable sources of electricity in the power sector (carbon-based power is down 28 percent since 2007), the average emissions from our plug-in vehicles is declining and will continue to decline over time.
MYTH: “EVs are the main cause of troublesome cobalt mining”
TRUTH: EV battery makers use cobalt, which is largely mined in the conflict-filled region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. About 15 percent comes from so-called “artisanal” mines that exploit child labor. Fortunately, many companies and scientists are focusing on improving the sourcing, re-use, and disposal of EV batteries -- as well as on reducing cobalt use and increasing energy density overall.
Electric cars actually represent a small percentage of the market for mined cobalt, which is largely driven by the demand for laptops, cell phones, airplanes, medical equipment, and military applications (all far more popular than EVs). Regardless of the small role that EVs play in the cobalt market, efforts are underway by companies, policymakers, and scientists to move in a more ethical direction when it comes to EV batteries.
MYTH: “EVs aren’t within reach for disadvantaged communities”
TRUTH: Some hold the belief that zero-emission vehicles aren’t an equitable solution to climate change -- a particularly harmful myth considering that transportation emissions (the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions) disproportionately harm disadvantaged communities.
The rise of personal EVs alone is not an accurate representation of the scope of EV adoption and the resulting emissions reductions. The rapid acceleration of zero-emission cars, trucks, and buses -- in addition to electric car shares, e-bikes, scooters, walking and bike paths -- expands clean transportation access for diverse communities. The deployment of electric buses and charging infrastructure is on the rise, and historically disadvantaged neighborhoods are being prioritized. State and local policies are beginning to address clean transportation disenfranchisement in meaningful ways, such as California’s Charge Ahead program, Scrap and Replace program, and Oregon’s used EV program.
Electric transit buses are deployed in many cities, with more coming soon to the streets of San Diego, South Florida and Austin. With the majority of transit bus riders being people of color and 55 percent women, 43 percent low-income, 34 percent elderly, and many with a disability -- a swift transition away from buses that run on fossil fuels and toward zero-emission buses is also a strong move for clean transportation justice.
That said, we must continue to make electric mobility even more affordable and accessible to all. The Greenlining Institute has created a terrific toolkit with strong recommendations to achieve this, and the Sierra Club and Plug In America include a few model equity policies in our model EV policy toolkit.
Do electric cars fail our climate and our most vulnerable communities? Only if you cherry-pick data, rely on discredited information, and ignore carbon reductions. EVs can certainly go even further and be even cleaner and more equitable with the help of smart policies and just programs -- but, regardless if analyses are tweaked or projections are ignored, the truth is that electric vehicles offer a significant positive benefit for everyone. That’s why it’s critical we continue to drive a shared, electric mobility future for our planet and the people living on it.
Mary Lunetta is the campaign representative for the Sierra Club's Electric Vehicles Initiative.
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