Transportation is the biggest source of climate pollution in America and causes a huge amount of other deadly air pollution. Switching to zero emissions electric trucks, buses and cars will create jobs for the future, clean the air and help us compete with Europe and China in this rapidly expanding market.
Despite these benefits, we can’t be naive about the fight ahead. It’s clear that powerful interests who benefit from the polluting status quo will fight any change. The trade group for Big Oil is already criticizing proposals that will help American companies get ahead in this emerging market.
But if President Biden and Congress move forward and take bold action, they’ll have the facts, the law and the American people on their side.
Beating Europe and China for the jobs of the future
Let’s start with jobs. The American electric vehicle (EVs) industry is off to a good start. But if Washington doesn’t act to accelerate opportunity — like our international competitors have — we are in danger of seeing those jobs go overseas. Right now 95 percent of electric trucks are sold in China and Europe is making major investments. We’re going to lose the race for these jobs if we don’t compete.
You can already see the enormous potential for jobs. The EV industry employed almost 130,000 people across the U.S. in 2019 and that number will expand enormously in the next decade since carmakers worldwide are set to spend $257 billion designing and building EVs. The question is where will those plants and jobs be located?
Biden’s recent executive order directing the federal government to purchase made-in-America zero-emitting vehicles underscores the opportunity. The Post Office alone has hundreds of thousands of vehicles that can be built here in America.
Momentum from companies
Manufacturers have already announced plans to spend billions to open new or renovated plants in the U.S. to build EVs in five different states.
GM, which just announced it will be all-electric by 2035, is investing $2.2 billion in a Detroit flagship assembly plant for its zero emissions vehicle future. Ford plans to invest $900 million expansion at its Flat Rock, Mich., EV plant and $700 million for production of the electric F-150.
In fact, every major auto manufacturer around the world is investing in an EV future.
Washington needs to act
But even with all this momentum, we need action from Washington to win this race. We need smart policy to limit pollution and bold investments from Congress. The good news is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has time tested authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to adopt pollution standards that rely on the increasing availability of zero-emitting vehicles.
A huge win for health and kids with asthma
Moving to zero emissions vehicles would also be a big win for our health. EVs have no tailpipe emissions and, regardless of the source of the electricity used to power them, they produce much less climate pollution. And since the utility industry is moving to clean power — more than one in three Americans are already getting service from a utility that’s transitioning to 100 percent clean electric generation — moving to electric transportation will dramatically cut air pollution now and those benefits will only increase as the grid becomes cleaner.
If we ensure all new cars sold are zero-emitting by 2035, we can save thousands of lives. That’s particularly important in communities of color and low-income areas because due to discrimination in housing and economic opportunity, they are often near ports, highways and other places with high truck traffic.
The American people support it
A recent poll showed that two-thirds of voters say it’s important to incentivize the production of more electric trucks, buses and cars. Car lovers will be particularly excited that EVs outperform gas power engines. Also, EVs save consumers money. A new analysis shows that by 2030 a buyer of a new battery EVs will save $7,200 in upfront costs and lower fuel and maintenance costs over time.
It’s not surprising that most Americans recognize that more money in their pockets, more jobs and less pollution in the air is a good thing. It’s time to make it happen.
Elizabeth Gore is senior vice president of political affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund.