Electric vehicles can reduce emissions and dramatically boost our economy. Congress should pass the Build Back Better Act to make us all better off.
Joe Britton
Executive Director, Zero Emission Transportation Association
The transportation sector is the only part of our economy where emissions continue to increase each year. That pollution is worsening the climate crisis and creating severe health problems in our communities. Fortunately, real solutions are at hand — and, if we pursue emissions reduction in a smart way, we will also drive historic economic growth.
Electric vehicles (or EVs) have zero tailpipe emissions, and an overwhelming amount of research has established that EVs have drastically lower carbon footprints than gas-powered cars. By electrifying our transportation sector, we can reduce our pollution in a way that creates millions of jobs and puts trillions of dollars back in Americans’ pockets, leaving us all better off.
An important start
President Biden called for 50 percent of new cars sold in 2030 to be electric models, and he committed that the federal government — and its fleet — would achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. If we act now, these efforts will put us on track to avoid $1.3 trillion in public health and environmental costs in the coming decades. In addition, the United States’ EV industry will be able to create more than 2 million good-paying jobs.
Congress has a pivotal role to play in accelerating this EV transition. The bipartisan infrastructure bill was an important start, providing funding for widespread, affordable EV charging infrastructure. Now, Congress must pass the Build Back Better Act to expand consumer incentives for EVs, including for used EVs and medium- and heavy-duty EVs. The legislation will also help families and businesses install EV chargers in their communities, and the bill will make it easier to manufacture EVs in the United States.
With so many clear public benefits for our economy, climate, and public health, we can’t miss this chance to electrify our transportation sector, which will make all Americans better off than they are today.
